Nursing Student Allison Bustillo Self-Deports After 6 Months in ICE Custody

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After six months in ICE detention, Allison Bustillo, a 20-year-old student nurse, has chosen voluntary removal to Honduras, a decision shaped by declining health and ongoing confinement.

Allison Bustillo-Chinchilla’s Story

• Newsweek reports that DHS commented about her case: "Allison Athziri Bustillo Chinchilla, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by ICE following the FBI encountering her while executing a federal search warrant related to drug trafficking. She entered the U.S. illegally in 2014 and was released into this country by the Obama administration." She was detained after the raid but not charged with any crime.
• She later graduated with honors from Crest High School in Shelby, NC, then Cleveland Community College as a nursing assistant, and earned a $60,000 scholarship to attend Gardner‑Webb University’s nursing program.
• In February, armed federal agents raided her home seeking someone else, but instead detained Allison, her mother, and brother. Her mother and brother were released to care for younger siblings; Allison was sent to the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia.
• Suffering from scoliosis and other health issues, she reported worsening pain, irregular medication access, dangerously low blood pressure, and unsanitary conditions that left her physically and mentally exhausted.
• At her final hearing via WebEx, she formally withdrew her asylum petition and opted for voluntary self‑deportation, leaving behind her family. This method allows her to return later without triggering the 10‑year re‑entry ban.

As Allison returns to Honduras, her case highlights the complex intersection of immigration policy, healthcare aspirations, and the difficult choices faced by individuals in similar situations.

🤔 Nurses, what do you think about this? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below.

 

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