Boerne Man Let Out of Jail (WOAI-TX)

Boerne Man Let Out of Jail
Reported by: Erik Runge
Email: ErikRunge@woai.com
Last Update: 6:14 pm

A Boerne father of five was released from jail Tuesday to be with is family.

Saul Espinoza, 36, was in jail for seven weeks after being arrested for being in the country illegally.

He was facing deportation even though his attorney showed U.S. and immigration officials his U.S. birth certificate.

Tuesday, he walked out of the federal detention center, but he is not entirely a free man.

"It was just the best feeling ever," said Saul Espinoza, who was happy to be home with his family. "We were locked up in chicken cages. I'll be honest with you."

Immigration officials arrested Espinoza in January for being in the country illegally.

A few weeks later, his attorney showed News 4 documentation that says Espinoza is a U.S. citizen. He said ICE agents refused to look at it.

Espinoza and his attorney believe our reports forced ICE to take another look at the case.

"I have no doubt that ICE was trying to do the right thing, but I think they were overzealous in not checking out the documentation," said Josue Martinez, Espinoza's attorney.

ICE is not admitting fault. In a statement, it said "He has used many aliases and he has been deported three times since he had always claimed to be a citizen of Mexico. Due to this extensive deceptive history, ICE is carefully reviewing his latest claim of U.S. citizenship."

Espinoza knows he caused some of his own problems.

"I would like to apologize to ICE. I don't know how to say it but I really am sorry," said Espinoza.

He will have to check in with ICE agents about once a month while they review his citizenship.

His release is conditional until ICE makes a final decision on citizenship.