PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An Argentinian nanny who was arrested a month ago by Immigration and Customs Enforcement is coming back home to Philadelphia after her boyfriend confirmed her bond was posted.
Iliana Lick, 30, was picked up by ICE on July 11 at Philadelphia International Airport while trying to get to Argentina’s World Cup quarterfinal match in Kansas City. She had been nannying for several families in Philly when she was arrested.
Over the past month, she was transferred between various detention facilities. Her boyfriend, Steve Melchiorre, said he was finally able to post the $10,000 bail Monday.
“I am excited to see her,” he said. “I’m relieved that she’s finally out. I’m also a bit anxious, because this has changed and altered our lives in a way that is unmistakable and unforeseen.”
Melchiorre said Lick has been in limbo while awaiting her change of status hearing, after arriving in the U.S. in 2023 on a travel visa. He described her arrest as a shock, considering he estimates she’s flown domestically about 10 times.
What has followed has been a month of less-than-ideal conditions. “She’s safe and getting food, but is not comfortable,” he said. “She’s locked up with other girls, sharing bathrooms, showers, so you don’t have a lot of privacy.”
Still, the couple has gotten to speak almost every day — and Melchiorre said Lick has been able to bond with her fellow detainees. Getting her back home, he added, is just the first step.
“I specifically am anxious about the whole process of what’s going to come, going forward,” he said.
Iliana Lick was arrested at PHL on July 11, while headed to a World Cup game in Kansas City
Iliana Lick was arrested at PHL on July 11, while headed to a World Cup game in Kansas City
