A Leominster man — whose 5-year-old daughter with autism was the subject of a viral video involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — was released on bond this week.
In a story that gained national attention and drew outrage from Massachusetts’ governor, the family of Edwards Hip Mejia alleges ICE agents tried to use the girl to lure him out of the house and detain him last month. Mejia was ultimately detained two days later.
“We are overjoyed to know that he’s back with his family, particularly his 5-year-old daughter, who has certainly been suffering quite a bit through all of this,” said Jacob Geller, Mejia’s attorney.
“The judge agreed that that was insufficient to find that he was a danger to community,” he added. “Outside of that, her position was that he was a low-flight risk, but did apply some bond to his case to make sure that he appears at court.”
His attorney said it’s too soon to tell when exactly his next court dates could be, but said it could be years from now.
Mejia, who was released Wednesday night, declined an interview through Geller’s firm.
ICE detained him on the claim that Mejia was a threat to the community. The agency pointed to a 2024 domestic dispute charge between Mejia and his wife, a charge that was later dropped.
“Things are better. Me and the girls are so happy — they were very sad and upset with him gone,” Jansy Mejia, his wife, told GBH News in Spanish over the phone. “Now thank God that he’s back in the house, and they’re glad. He can go out and do the groceries, provide, the things I couldn’t do. He’s eager to take the girls to school and to live a normal life.”
Mejia originally requested a bond hearing a few weeks ago, but it was denied for jurisdiction reasons. The First Circuit gave an order to grant a bond hearing, which was earlier this week.
On Sept. 16, Mejia was driving his daughter home from a doctor’s appointment when he noticed vehicles with tinted windows following him. As he pulled into his driveway, he called his wife, left his daughter in the car with windows cracked open and ran inside to call police.
Agents went onto the property, opened the car doors, took the girl to the street and asked the couple to retrieve the child, video shared with GBH News shows.
One agent yells, “Your daughter? Come here so we can see some IDs.” Mejia replies, “I can give it to you through the door.”
The agent says “No, you can do it right here,” motioning to the girl.
Local police arrived later and took the daughter to their station, where a family member picked her up. Mejia was detained two days later when he was leaving the house for work.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned Mejia’s release and offered a different recounting of what happened outside the Leominster home.
“This activist judge chose to allow Edwards Hip Mejia, a criminal illegal alien who had charges for strangulation and domestic abuse loose on American streets,” said McLaughlin. “This criminal illegal alien from Guatemala entered the country at an unknown date and unknown location.
“During this criminal’s arrest on September 18, he ignored law enforcement emergency lights to pull over and drove back to his house. He fled from the car, gave officers the double middle finger, and darted inside his house. He abandoned the 5-year-old daughter in the car. Officers helped rescue the child and called local police to report the abandonment.”
