DETROIT — An Ann Arbor nurse helped a Mexican immigrant escape from federal custody by letting him flee Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, unsealed federal court records alleged.

The case against Chloe Renae Freeman, 29, of Whitmore Lake describes a daring night-time escape during the nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and an ongoing fugitive manhunt.

Freeman is accused of helping the immigrant leave the hospital in May after surveillance footage showed her swiping a badge to gain access to the room where the man was being treated for an injury. Minutes later, security video showed the immigrant, who is referred to in court records by the initials OBP, leaving the hospital through the ambulance bay doors.

"Freeman told the interviewers that she did not agree with ICE separating people from their families and that she knew she 'was going to set him free,'" FBI Special Agent Michael Wagner wrote in the criminal case.

The case raises questions about why the immigrant was unguarded at the hospital after he was arrested near the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Pittsfield Boulevard in Ann Arbor. A Border Patrol spokesman declined comment Sept. 29, citing the ongoing investigation.

Freeman was released on $10,000 unsecured bond after making an initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in Detroit.

She "intends to plead not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. She has moved out of the area and no longer works at the hospital where the incident occurred," her lawyer, Matthew Borgula, wrote in an email to The Detroit News. "She looks forward to defending herself in a court of law and has no further comment at this time."

A hospital spokesman confirmed Freeman is no longer employed by Trinity Health Ann Arbor.

"Because this is an active legal matter, we are unable to comment on the specific allegations or ongoing court proceedings," the hospital said in a statement.

The case unfolded May 28. That is when Border Patrol agents were hunting for the immigrant who had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2022.

At 9 p.m., agents found him near the intersection. He fled but tripped over a curb and smacked his face on the pavement, according to the FBI agent.

Blood started flowing from the wound so agents provided first aid until the man was transported to Trinity.

Once there, the man was admitted into the emergency room and accompanied by ICE agents. He eventually was taken to undergo a CT scan.

"Under normal protocols, upon completion of the CT scan, a CT technical operator transports the patient back to their room," the FBI agent wrote. "However, the CT technical operator recalled that on May 28, 2026, two nurses, one being Chloe Freeman, came to the CT scan room and told the operator to hold OBP and not return him to his room. Shortly thereafter, Freeman returned to the CT scan room and retrieved OBP."

Security footage later showed the man leaving the hospital through the ambulance bay doors at 11:32 p.m.

"Law enforcement have been unable to locate OBP since his escape from Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital," the FBI agent wrote.

Investigators questioned Freeman in June. She admitted letting the immigrant leave the hospital, according to the criminal filing.

"She said she knew OBP was an ICE custody patient, but she claimed she did not believe OBP was in custody at the time because the ICE agents were not physically with him in the CT room," the FBI agent wrote.

Freeman told investigators she removed the man's intravenous line and escorted him out of the ambulance bay doors before he had finished receiving care from hospital staff and before he had been discharged, according to the FBI.

"She acknowledged that due to his injuries, he could have died," the agent wrote.

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