Downingtown man released after 258 days in ICE custody; family credits community support

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- After nearly nine months in federal immigration custody, Carlos Della Valle has been released and is returning home to Downingtown, where his family and community have been waiting for his return.

"The reason that I'm here, that I'm still here, it's because of what everybody's been doing for us. I feel the love," Della Valle said.

Della Valle spent 258 days in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody across 16 facilities, according to his family.

He was first detained back in December of 2024 at an airport in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, while traveling with his family. His detention sparked a widespread community effort advocating for his release.

His wife, Angela Della Valle, said that support made a critical difference.

"Our community is the reason we could fight this hard and this long," she said.

Della Valle, a Mexican national, entered the United States illegally in 1997 after fleeing cartel violence, according to his family. He was previously deported and signed a document agreeing not to return, but later reentered the country. He has since lived in Downingtown for decades, working and raising a family.

While marriage to a U.S. citizen can provide a pathway to legal status, that process generally requires lawful entry into the country. Angela Della Valle and the couple's son, who is in college, are U.S. citizens.

After his arrest, Della Valle was released on bond and later returned for trial. A jury found him not guilty of illegal reentry after reviewing hundreds of letters from community members supporting him.

Despite the verdict, he was detained again by immigration authorities last August.

His detention led to an outpouring of support from residents, faith leaders and advocacy groups. Community members organized fundraisers, wrote letters and created online campaigns calling for his release.

Pastor Joshua Gill of Central Presbyterian Church said the congregation and others worked to support the family throughout the ordeal.

"We held an interfaith prayer vigil with about five different faith communities. The church sent me down to visit Carlos in Louisiana to offer pastoral care, and we had a fundraiser here with over 500 people," Gill said.

Gill said the church recently updated a sign that had long called for Della Valle's release.

"For the last eight months, the sign has said 'Bring Carlos home,' and so last night at about midnight, I drove back to church and changed it so it said 'Welcome home, Carlos,' because we are so excited for him to come back to the community," he said.

Angela Della Valle, who spoke to the press on Wednesday virtually, said the experience has highlighted broader challenges facing mixed-status families.

"Our fight is a collective fight, and if it weren't for our community, we wouldn't have reached this place. We have a lot of work to do for all kinds of families, particularly mixed-status families, because all families deserve to be together," she said.

Della Valle described the moment he learned he would be released as overwhelming.

"I was happy and sad at the same time, knowing that I was going to leave the guys," he said.

The family said they plan to continue working through the legal process regarding Della Valle's immigration status while advocating for changes to U.S. immigration laws.

"We are going to follow the process in terms of his immigration status and continue to work with our lawyers, but we also know we have a great responsibility to look forward and help in any way we can to support common-sense legislation that will not just help our family, but countless others," Angela Della Valle said.

Officials with ICE did not respond to a request for comment.