Daughters drive to Kentucky to meet mother after bond order
A federal judge ordered the release of a Round Lake woman held by ICE for 15 months, but the Department of Homeland Security has until Monday to appeal the decision.
By Leila Mansour ·
Beata Siemionkowicz remains in federal custody in Kentucky as of Sunday, despite a federal immigration judge ordering her release on bond on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security has 24 business hours to challenge the ruling before she must be freed. Her daughters, Gabi and Claudia Siemionkowicz, are preparing to travel from the Chicago suburbs to see their mother for the first time in person since August 2025.
Siemionkowicz, a green card holder from Poland, has been held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for 15 months. She was detained by masked agents at her eldest daughter's home in Des Plaines. The sisters maintained contact through two 15-minute video calls per week. Claudia Siemionkowicz said her mother appeared confused by the process, noting that her mother believed she had followed legal procedures.
The government seeks to deport Siemionkowicz based on two misdemeanor shoplifting convictions from 2005 and 2011. She was held without a bond hearing until last week. Hirsch Joshi, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, stated that the judge viewed those charges as a result of a domestic violence relationship. Officials also alleged she used forged documents in Poland to obtain U.S. immigration benefits. The daughters said a background check in Poland found no evidence for that claim.
Gabi Siemionkowicz lived with her mother in Round Lake. She dropped out of school and took a job to pay the mortgage after her mother's detention began. She said she nearly faced eviction twice while managing the household alone. Claudia Siemionkowicz, who worked 20 minutes from her sister's home, described seeing her mother gardening in the backyard on the day of her arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying ICE complies with all lawful court orders. The agency added that Siemionkowicz has made a mockery of the immigration system and would remain in custody pending her removal. DHS did not confirm whether it planned to file an appeal against the bond order. The judge's decision does not vacate the deportation order, but release would allow Siemionkowicz to continue her legal fight from home.
The sisters planned to leave late Sunday carrying some of their mother's favorite foods. They approached the trip with caution, aware that the administrative window for an appeal had not yet closed. Claudia Siemionkowicz said she would not fully believe the change in status until her mother was physically present with her.
