This fall, federal agents and local deputies raided a workplace in New York. Dozens of workers were arrested, including “Jaime,” who was working legally with federal authorization. (His name has been changed and details identifying his workplace have been left out for safety reasons.)

Jaime wasn’t hiding from the law—he was following it. He had been granted special immigrant juvenile status, placing him on a path to a green card. When he was arrested, Jaime was only weeks away from being eligible to apply. Despite showing his work permit, he was detained and placed in deportation proceedings.

The almost two months he spent in detention took an enormous emotional toll on him, his family and his community. It also imposed a steep financial burden to taxpayers, local governments and private

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