Meydi Guzman Rivas walked out of an ICE detention center on Thursday.
[Ads /]
The 18-year-old Crystal Lake Central High School senior was granted $2,000 bond Wednesday. ICE needs a 24-hour notification of bond before they will release detainees.
Guzman Rivas is staying with her high school counselor Sara Huser in Crystal Lake as she seeks asylum from her home country of Honduras. They threw a party Thursday afternoon to welcome her home.
"I'm really excited because I didn't really think about come back here," Guzman Rivas said.
The pizza party was filled with friends, classmates and teachers.
"What made me strong all this time was the support that all of you are giving to me," she said.
[Ads /]
Guzman Rivas and her father fled the violence in Honduras in 2018 and sought asylum in the United States. But in October they were detained and separated after immigration officials said they missed a court date.
Her case generated support in Crystal Lake; donations poured into help pay her bond.
"I have, like, many emotions," Guzman Rivas said. "I don't know what I really feel right now."
Her father remains in ICE custody, and her asylum petition still has to be heard.
"We still have so far to go in the court system, and we still have so much to do, and we're going to do it. But we're going to celebrate today," Huser said.
It's unclear how long it will take to resolve her asylum case. For now, Meydi said she wants to dive into her studies. She plans to return to school next week.