By Talia Agliam, Hawaii News Now
Published: Feb. 18, 2026
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaii Island coffee farm worker is back home after five months in federal custody.
Juan Jose Estrada Lopez was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last August while interviewing for lawful permanent residency.
Estrada Lopez came to the continental U.S. from Nicaragua in 2022 without documentation and later moved to Hawaii.
In 2024, he met and married his wife, who is a U.S. citizen born and raised in South Kona.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Hawaii confirmed Lopez was released on Jan. 27 following a hearing before the immigration court where he was granted a green card.
The ACLU of Hawaii had filed a lawsuit against the federal government over his detention.
They dropped the lawsuit upon his release.