U.S. deportation case against ‘Melly Mel’ dismissed

Apr 05, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Guyanese social media activist Melissa Atwell-Holder has confirmed with Kaieteur News that a United States (U.S.) Immigration Judge has officially terminated the deportation proceedings against her. The ruling effectively ends the immediate threat of removal following her detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The decision was handed down by Judge Barbara Nelson after a review of Atwell-Holder’s legal status. The court found that her marriage to a U.S. citizen and her pending residency applications superseded the initial grounds for her detention, which were based on a visa overstay.

Speaking exclusively to Kaieteur News following the termination of her case, Atwell-Holder, widely known as ‘Melly Mel’, maintained that her arrest was a politically motivated attempt to silence her investigative work.

“I know the government would stop at nothing to get me back in Guyana so the fight continues! There was no case to begin with. Had there been no governmental interference, there would have not been a need for any judicial review,” Atwell-Holder said.

She further alleged that a lobbying firm was employed to target her using Guyanese public funds.

“The lobbyist firm was just working for the Guyanese taxpayers’ money. Money which should have been put to better use by improving healthcare, better services for seniors and differently abled persons. Had they put the citizens first, Marlon Jupiter would still be alive. Thankfully, there are laws in the United States that prevent governmental overreach!”

The termination of the case follows months of public interest and one protest in Georgetown, where supporters and opposition figures claimed the Guyanese government influenced U.S. authorities to trigger the arrest. While Guyana’s Attorney General, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, has previously dismissed these claims as “entirely unfounded,” Atwell-Holder remains firm in her allegations of “coordination at the highest level.”

With the immigration case now terminated, Atwell-Holder is cleared to continue her adjustment of status process as a resident of New York, free from the threat of immediate deportation to Guyana.

During the proceedings, Atwell-Holder’s attorney, Joyce Booth, successfully argued that the activist had followed all legal protocols for an adjustment of status. Booth presented evidence that Atwell Holder currently holds an approved I-130 petition (Petition for Alien Relative) and a pending I-485 application for permanent residency.

More than two weeks after the social media activist was detained in the United States, she was released on US$7,500 bail for overstaying her visa, when she made her first appearance before a US Immigration Judge.

Atwell-Holder virtually appeared before Judge Francis Mwangi from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Center in Louisiana. Her lawyer, Joyce Booth, told the court that Atwell-Holder entered the U.S. in 2022 and has been married to a US citizen, Paul Holder, for two years prior to the case.

“Your honour, my client is married to a U.S. citizen, there is an approved I1-30 and there is also a pending I-485 in the system, so she is eligible to adjust,” the lawyer said. She noted that the I-485 has been pending since September 2023. She added that Atwell-Holder did an interview last year and since then she been waiting on the approval of the I-485.

Judge Mwangi asked why Atwell-Holder was in proceedings, given that she has an approved I1-30 and a pending I-485. “We have no idea, she was unexpectedly detained two weeks ago, ICE just showed up at her door in Brooklyn,” Booth told the court.

The I1-30 is a form filed to petition for an immediate or close relative who is not currently a US citizen to immigrate to the United States. The I-1485 is an application to register permanent residence or adjust status. This is used to apply for a green card, lawful permanent residence, for someone who is already in the United States and wish to adjust their immigration status.

For their part, a representative of the Department of Homeland Security said that according to the Notice to Appear (NTA) that was filed is in relation to a visa overstay, and clarified that there are no other charges against Atwell-Holder. To this end, the judge enquired, given that Atwell-Holder is married to a U.S. citizen, if she would not get a waiver from the overstay charge. He then asked for the lawyer to submit a copy of the I-485, a copy of the approved I1-30, as well as the birth certificate of the Paul Holder. These documents are to be submitted to the court by April 18, 2025.

Moreover, in relation to the bond application, Holder’s lawyer noted that her client has no criminal history, is not a danger to national security and is not a flight risk. Booth contended that her client’s detention is still a mystery and pleaded for bond in a reasonable amount.  The representative of the DHS acknowledged that the I1-30 has been approved, and a pending I-1485. It was also stated that according to their background check, Holder does not have a criminal history. The representative did not make any objection to bond being granted to Holder, but left it up to the court to decide.

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• ICE, Melly Mel, terminated, U.S. deportation

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