A nurse who was working at an Ann Arbor hospital in Michigan now faces a federal misdemeanor charge for allegedly helping an illegal alien escape from federal custody months ago.
The case against 29-year-old Chloe Freeman, of Whitmore Lake, Michigan, stems from an incident May 28,2026, at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital.
Freeman is accused of helping the illegal immigrant from Mexico exit the hospital, after was injured while trying to evade arrest. He remains at large and has not yet been located by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Trinity Health Michigan confirmed to CBS News Detroit that Freeman no longer works at the hospital.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. filed the criminal complaint Aug. 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Freeman faces a charge of instigating or assisting an escape of a person in federal custody. The complaint, unsealed Sept. 29, describes a brazen night-time escape that has resulted in an ongoing fugitive manhunt, The Detroit News reported.
According to the eight-page complaint, Freeman “knowingly” and “willfully” helped the detainee escape when she removed his IV and escorted him to the ambulance bay. Security footage showed the man leaving the hospital at about 11:32 p.m.
On May 28, U.S. Border Patrol agents “conducted a targeted operation” to capture a Mexican native who had been deported back in 2022 and had unlawfully re-entered the country.
Border Patrol agents located the man near the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Pittsfield Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The suspect attempted to flee from federal agents, tripped over a curb and hit his face on the pavement, according to the complaint. Following EMS evaluation, agents transported him to Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital for evaluation.
🇺🇸 A Michigan nurse is charged with helping an ICE detainee escape from a hospital, allegedly admitting she knew she was “going to set him free.”
Prosecutors say Chloe Freeman led the man out after a CT scan at Trinity Health Ann Arbor. He fled through an ambulance exit and… pic.twitter.com/AVEbdQBpdO
— NewsForce (@Newsforce) September 30, 2026
“Agents remained with the detainee until he was moved to the hospital’s X‑ray area,” according to a news release from Gorgon’s office. “Freeman allegedly used her hospital badge to access the restricted X-ray area and then directed the detainee toward the ambulance bay exit, enabling him to flee.”
According to the complaint, a CT technician told investigators they performed the CT scan and were about to transport the man back to his room. That’s when two nurses, including Freeman, told the operator to keep the man there.
Federal prosecutors allege Freeman came back to the room and used her staff key card to help him escape. They built the case around badge swipe data and security video footage from the hospital.
“Badge swipe data from Trinity Health Hospital showed that on May 28, 2026, at 11:31:51 p.m., Freeman swiped the 2nd Floor CT Room 2738 door to gain access to the CT room where (the suspect) was located,” the probable cause document states, per WOOD-TV 8.
“Security video footage then showed (the suspect) exiting the hospital through the ambulance bay doors on May 28, 2026, at 11:32:59 p.m. Law enforcement have been unable to locate (the suspect) since his escape from Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital.”
Freeman was later interviewed by hospital officials and investigators and admitted to letting the man leave.
She reportedly said that she knew the man was an ICE custody patient, but claimed federal agents were not with him in the CT room, court records state.
The nurse also told investigators that she disagreed with ICE’s policies, and that she was “going to set him free.” In addition, she said she knew he was still being evaluated for his injuries, according to the criminal complaint.
By allowing the man to leave, she facilitated an improper discharge from the hospital, breaking hospital protocol.
Freeman was released on a $10,000 bond. If convicted, she could face up to one year in prison.
As for the Mexican national who is still on the run, he was previously removed from the United States in December 2022 from Arizona. Federal authorities said he illegally reentered the country before he was tracked down in Michigan.
