Wendell woman arrives at RDU after being freed from ICE detention facility in Georgia
HEADED TO THE SCENE. WE'LL
BRING YOU UPDATES AS WE GET
THEM. ALL RIGHT, CHRIS, THANKS
VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
>> DEVELOPING TONIGHT, A WIND,
A WOMAN IS BACK HOME AFTER
SPENDING MORE THAN A MONTH AT
AN IMMIGRATION DETENTION
FACILITY IN GEORGIA. THIS IS
VIDEO OF HER ARRIVAL AT RDU
BOTTOM OF ALASKA AS ANTONIO WAS
DETAINED BY BORDER PATROL WHILE
SHE WAS AT WORK BEFORE BEING
RELEASED LAST NIGHT. WRAL'S
WILLIE DANLEY WAS AT RDU WHEN
SHE LANDED AND JOINS US LIVE
NOW. WILLIE, THIS WAS SUCH AN
EMOTIONAL DAY FOR THAT FAMILY.
YEAH, BRIAN, IT WAS EMOTIONAL
TO SAY THE LEAST. FATIMA WAS
WALKING DOWN THIS STRETCH RIGHT
HERE WHEN SHE WAS RELIVING THAT
EXPERIENCE OF BEING DETAINED
AND ALSO DISCUSSING WHAT IT
FEELS LIKE TO BE BACK HOME FOR
THE HOLIDAYS JUST IN TIME FOR
CHRISTMAS.
>> AS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
ARRIVE AT RDU FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
NONE OF THEM HAVE A STORY QUITE
LIKE OF ALASKA'S ANTONIO
TONIGHT AS THE FIRST TIME SHE'S
BACK IN THE TRIANGLE AFTER
BEING DETAINED BY IMMIGRATION
AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.
>> I FEEL GOOD WHERE MICHAEL
DIFFERENT. TELL ME IF YOU WANT
THESE SAY A FREE, FIND THE LOVE
AND I WAS SO HAPPY.
>> BUT LET'S WASN'T. O'NEILL
WAS BORN IN HONDURAS. MOVING
TO THE TRIANGLE AS A TEENAGER
AFTER BOTH OF HER PARENTS DIED,
SHE WORKED TO OBTAIN LEGAL
STATUS FOR YEARS BEFORE BEING
DETAINED AT HER PLACE OF WORK
OVER A MONTH AGO. HER UNCLE
GENE SMITH HAS BEEN WAITING FOR
THIS MOMENT TO HE WENT TO THE
GEORGIA DETENTION CENTER WHERE
SHE WAS DETAINED AS SOON AS HE
HEARD THAT SHE MAY GET
RELEASED.
>> SO WE GOT HER IS COVID.
>> I'M GLAD TO HAVE A HOME.
YOU KNOW, I TOLD HER AND SAID
I'M NOT ONLY GEORGE IN JULY
TO HAPPEN SO IT'S A C A TRUE
CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. A MOUNTAIN.
>> SMITH SHARED DOCUMENTS WITH
WRAL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE SHOWING THE GOVERNMENT
WAS UNOPPOSED TO A MOTION TO
TERMINATE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST
THE LIST. WAS ANTONIO THAT
DOCUMENT IS SIGNED BY AN
IMMIGRATION JUDGE IN DATED
DECEMBER 19TH. ALTHOUGH THE
LESS WAS ANTONIO RECOGNIZES
THAT SHE STILL HAS A LONG WAY
TO GO IN HER IMMIGRATION
PROCESS. SHE'S RELIEVED TO BE
ABLE TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH
HER LOVED ONES.
>> ISIS TO HAVE THESE FOR THEM
BUT TO CALL TO FIND ME. AND
I THE NOISY RIGHT NOW THE THANK
YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND AND THE
PEOPLE TO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> SUCH AN EMOTIONAL DAY FOR
HER AND HER FAMILY. WRAL HAS
REACHED OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT WHY SHE WAS DETAINED
IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND WHAT
PROMPTED HER RELEASE? WE ARE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW