Frederick man detained by ICE to have hearing in September
- Sofia M
- Oct 10, 2025
- 4 min read
By Sofia Montoya-Deck
Published in the Frederick News-Post on July 20, 2025
Frederick resident Alexi Canas will plead his case against deportation at an immigration court hearing on Sept. 9, according to a proceeding on Friday morning.
Canas was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on March 12 after serving a two-day sentence at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center for driving on a suspended license.
ICE officials transported Canas to Baltimore to begin removal proceedings against him, a legal process in which the U.S. government seeks to remove non-citizens from the United States.
He has since been held at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, Mississippi, over 1,000 miles away from his wife and eight children. His children range in age from 8 to 22.
“It’s been extremely difficult,” Diana Canas, Canas’ eldest child, said Friday during a phone interview. “It’s our third month without him, so we’re really starting to feel it a bit more, just the fact that he’s not here.”
Canas, originally from El Salvador, has lived in the United States for over three decades.
At an immigration court hearing on Friday morning, Canas appeared via a videoconferencing platform from the Mississippi correctional center.
Judge Alexander Lee, presiding from the Greenpoint Park Immigration Court in Houston, Texas, heard multiple cases for immigrants facing deportation to various countries, such as Ethiopia, Armenia, Cameroon and El Salvador.
Canas was represented by his attorney, Christopher Kinnison, an immigration lawyer based in Louisiana. Kinnison told Lee in court that an Executive Office for Immigration Review 42-B document had been filed on Canas’ behalf. A 42-B is an application for nonpermanent residents seeking a cancellation of removal proceedings.
To qualify for a cancellation, applicants must prove the following in a hearing before an immigration judge:
continuous physical presence in the United States for at least 10 years
good moral character during those 10 years
no convictions of certain serious crimes
the applicant’s removal would result in hardship to a spouse, parent or child who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
Before Lee offered possible hearing dates for Canas’ case, Kinnison asked to address the court.
“I don’t usually request this, but I do think a full day is required for this individual in this case,” he said. “This is a heavily complicated case. My client’s been in the U.S. since 1995 and I anticipate having four witnesses, including [Alexi].”
Lee said he was unable to provide a full-day time slot and instead offered a 1 p.m. hearing. Given the choice between Sept. 9 and July 15, Kinnison opted for a Sept. 9 hearing.
At the September hearing, Canas and his attorney will present his case to an immigration judge and argue why he should be eligible to remain in the United States.
Diana Canas said she had mixed emotions after receiving a hearing date for her father. “It’s already been three months, so thinking of having to wait until September, that’s really hard.”
“At the same time, I’m kind of grateful,” she said. “It does give us a chance to prepare this case to make sure we have a strong argument and get everything we need to fight his case and get him to stay here.”
In April, Alexi Canas appeared before an immigration judge who denied him bond.
According to Diana Canas, a bond appeal has been submitted and the family is awaiting a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Alexi Canas is the owner of AC Painting and Remodeling, a home improvement business that operates out of Frederick and serves the Washington metropolitan area.
Since his detainment, Diana Canas has taken over the business.
“He’s built this even before I was born,” she said. “I would hate for it to just crumble completely with his absence, so I’ve been trying my best to keep it running.”
According to Diana Canas, Alexi Canas’ family speaks to him on the phone nearly every night. Video calls are more scarce, typically occurring once a week.
“He makes it a thing to call late at night, so he can say a prayer with us,” Diana Canas said.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office participates in the federal 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement officials to partner with ICE to enforce federal immigration laws.
Through the Jail Enforcement Model of 287(g), correctional officers inquire about immigration status after someone’s arrest.
At a meeting on Wednesday regarding the Sheriff’s Office participation in the program, Corrections Bureau Chief Lt. Col. Michael Cronise said that between May 2024 and May 2025, designated immigration officers submitted 115 immigration detainers against individuals booked at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center.
Over the past three months, friends of the Canas family have shown their support in many ways.
According to Diana Canas, members of the community have donated food and given words of encouragement. A GoFundMe campaign was also started to help generate financial support for Alexi Canas’ family and cover his legal costs. As of Friday afternoon, more than $19,000 had been raised for the family.
“He’s a hard worker, and he’s a loving father,” Diana Canas said. “And we need him.”
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