AUSTIN, Texas — A Travis County judge exonerated Carmen Mejia on Monday afternoon, officially relieving her of a life sentence, only to learn that she is at risk of a federal immigration detention.
The move comes after an opinion from the Texas Court of Appeals in January supported Mejia’s exoneration, citing “newly available scientific evidence.”
Mejia was convicted on three counts during a 2005 criminal trial: felony murder, injury to a child and injury to a child by omission.
She has now been exonerated of all three charges.
During her original trial, prosecutors argued Mejia was responsible for the death of a 10-month-old in her custody by placing the child in scalding water and failing to seek medical attention in a timely manner.
The Travis County District Attorney’s office, alongside legal representatives from the Innocence Project, presented a motion to dismiss the indictment against Mejia Monday afternoon.
New evidence suggests Mejia was not in the room when the child was burned, but instead, one of Mejia’s young children accidentally turned on the hot water while the infant was in the bath.
“Throughout these 20 years, I kept my faith and my hope that God was going to do justice, and I would ask God, please let justice be done,” Mejia told the court through an interpreter on Monday. “And my prayers were heard and my people’s prayers were heard.”
Ahead of her exoneration, the district court judge informed her of an immigration detainer that would likely lead to her detention “within 48 hours.”
The judge asked federal authorities to understand that Mejia had legal status before her arrest, and now has no criminal history.