Ann Arbor Nurse Charged With Helping ICE Detainee Escape From Trinity Health Hospital
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. — A former nurse at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital is facing a federal criminal charge after prosecutors allege she helped an immigration detainee escape from the hospital while he was in U.S. Border Patrol custody.
Chloe Renae Freeman has been charged with one count of instigating or assisting an escape, a federal misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison. Freeman has pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for October 20.
What Happened at Trinity Health Ann Arbor?
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, the incident happened on May 28, 2026, in Ann Arbor.
U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered a Mexican citizen near the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Pittsfield Boulevard. According to the complaint, the man attempted to flee, tripped over a curb and struck his face on the pavement.
After taking him into custody, agents noticed that he was bleeding and contacted emergency medical services. He was subsequently transported to Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.
The man is identified in court documents by the initials OBP.
Nurse Allegedly Helped the Detainee Leave
The federal complaint alleges that after the detainee underwent a CT scan, Freeman entered the CT area and instructed staff to keep him there rather than return him to his hospital room.
Hospital badge records reportedly showed Freeman accessing the second-floor CT area.
Security footage then showed the detainee leaving the hospital through an ambulance bay door. Authorities say he left before he had been properly discharged and while his medical care was still ongoing.
According to the complaint, Freeman removed the man’s IV and escorted him toward the ambulance bay.
Authorities have not located the detainee since he left the hospital.
What Freeman Told Investigators
The complaint states that Freeman was interviewed by hospital officials on June 18.
According to investigators, Freeman acknowledged allowing the detainee to leave the hospital. She reportedly said she knew he was an ICE custody patient but believed he was not in custody at that particular moment because federal agents were not physically present with him inside the CT area.
The complaint also alleges that Freeman told investigators she disagreed with ICE policies involving the separation of families and knew that she was helping the man leave.
Freeman’s statements are allegations contained in the criminal complaint and have not been established as facts in a court of law.
Trinity Health Responds
Trinity Health Ann Arbor confirmed that Freeman is no longer employed by the hospital.
The health system said it could not comment on the specific allegations or ongoing court proceedings because the matter remains an active legal case.
Federal Criminal Charge
Freeman is charged with instigating or assisting an escape, a misdemeanor offense under federal law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced the charge on September 30, 2026. Federal prosecutors said the criminal complaint alleges that Freeman knowingly and willfully assisted the detainee in escaping federal custody.
The criminal complaint was initially sealed and was later unsealed ahead of Freeman’s court appearance.
A criminal complaint is an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Freeman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
What Happens Next?
Freeman is scheduled to return to federal court on October 20, 2026.
Meanwhile, federal authorities continue to search for the detainee who left Trinity Health Ann Arbor following the incident.
The case has also drawn attention from immigration advocates and legal experts because it raises questions about the responsibilities of medical professionals when patients are receiving treatment while also being held in federal immigration custody.
Source
This report is based on publicly available information from WXYZ-TV, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, and court documents.
Original reporting: WXYZ-TV / 7 News Detroit