Rene Lima-Marin, mistakenly released early from a long prison sentence only to be sent back after he had forged a productive new life as a husband and father, appeared to be on the cusp of freedom after a Arapahoe County District Court judge ruled Tuesday that his re-incarceration “would perpetrate a manifest injustice.”

But while his family eagerly awaited his release from prison Wednesday, immigration authorities put the reunion on hold — and later in the evening indicated he could be deported.

“We’re just still waiting and trying to figure out what’s going on and how to fight,” said Lima-Marin’s wife, Jasmine, who had decorated their Aurora house in anticipation of a homecoming.

The Colorado Department of Corrections said in a statement that Lima-Marin had been moved from the Fremont Correctional Facility in Cañon City to the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center in preparation for his release, and that a Criminal Justice Information Services review determined he might have an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.

The statement noted that the department is required to notify ICE of a such a possibility and that the detainer was subsequently confirmed.

In an emailed statement Wednesday night, ICE said that Lima-Marin was “ordered removed” by a federal immigration judge in Denver years ago — on Nov. 1, 2000. Earlier Wednesday, after Lima-Marin had been released from his Colorado sentence, ICE officials took him into custody “pending his removal to Cuba.”

However, the U.S. has little control over whether Cuba accepts deportees. It’s possible that Lima-Marin, 38, could — after as much as six months in ICE custody — be put on an order of supervision that would require him to check in regularly with ICE officials and possibly wear a GPS ankle bracelet.

Lima-Marin came to the U.S. as a toddler with his parents from Cuba during the massive 1980 Mariel boatlift, when he was about 2 years old. His father, Eli Borges, said his son became a legal resident when they arrived but never applied for U.S. citizenship, although both parents did.

Kimberly Diego, Lima-Marin’s Denver-based attorney in his effort to be freed from his prison sentence, said her client’s status was “absolutely legal,” and noted that Cubans have a unique situation among immigrants. She began the search for an immigration specialist to clarify Lima-Marin’s status and hopefully avert a worst-case scenario.

“Anytime you’re in ICE custody, you’re in fear of deportation,” Diego said. “We’re going to do everything we can to avoid that, if that’s possible. We’re obviously all completely devastated by the news but working hard to see what there is to be done. We’re going to attack this from every angle possible.”

The colorful balloons that heralded a celebration at the Lima-Marin home were pushed aside by a flurry of frantic activity once Jasmine fielded calls from her husband explaining that he had been detained by ICE. As details of the story surfaced throughout the day, TV trucks clustered nearby while the family sought to sort out the unexpected turn of events.

By Wednesday evening, Lima-Marin’s family had entered conversations with a local firm specializing in immigration law. The Meyer Law Office issued a statement slamming federal immigration policy for impacting families and undermining state and local court decisions, and calling on ICE to release Lima-Marin.

“If they refuse to do so,” said Hans Meyer, principal of the firm, “then Gov. (John) Hickenlooper needs to grant Mr. Lima-Marin a pardon in order to give meaning to the Arapahoe District Court’s decision and avoid a manifest injustice in this case.”

The group Together, Colorado, which has advocated for Lima-Marin since his re-incarceration, held a vigil Wednesday evening outside the Aurora ICE Processing Center. Speaking above a steady wind that whipped the flags flying above the entrance to the facility, Jasmine clutched a microphone and stood silent for several moments.

“I don’t really know what to say,” she said. “I didn’t know I’d be standing here now, doing this. It’s heartbreaking. It’s frustrating.”

About 20 supporters held signs — “Justice, Not Insanity” — and chanted in voices they hoped that Lima-Marin would hear: “Free Rene! Free Rene!” Jasmine wiped away tears as they gathered in a supportive circle around her.

“We’re not going to let it go,” said Sharon Bridgeforth, president of the organization’s board. “We’ve come too far. It’s immoral, what’s going on.”

Organizer Celesté Martinez said Lima-Marin appears to be a victim of shifting international politics. When he was first released in 2008, she said, U.S. policy would not have deported him. And, she added, Lima-Marin was meeting regularly with immigration officials to clarify his status until he was suddenly shipped back to prison in 2014.

“Cuban immigrants were never a priority for deportation because of Cuban-U.S. relations,” she said. “But because of changes at the end of the Obama administration, that has changed way ICE enforces toward Cuban immigrants. (President Donald) Trump’s policies as well are affecting that.”

The disappointing development for the family came only a day after Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour Jr.’s decision granting Lima-Marin’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Calling his continued re-incarceration “draconian,” Samour ruled that Lima-Marin should be released. “No other remedy will result in justice in this case,” he wrote.

Lima-Marin had been sentenced in 2000 to 98 years for a litany of offenses stemming from a pair of video store robberies, but an error on his paperwork resulted in his 2008 parole. Once out of prison, he returned to his old Aurora neighborhood, married Jasmine and became father to two boys — Justus, 10, and JoJo, 7. He worked his way up from low-paying, felon-friendly jobs to become a glazier, and also became active in his church and community.

But his former prosecutor discovered the mistake in 2014, and soon Lima-Marin was back in prison. Aside from legal efforts pushing for his release, state legislators in both chambers unanimously supported resolutions requesting that Hickenlooper grant him clemency.

A Hickenlooper spokeswoman said the governor’s office is currently considering an application for clemency from Lima-Marin, and the latest events will be part of the review process. Meanwhile, the governor weighed in with a prepared statement.

“We can’t imagine the emotional roller coaster this family has endured,” Hickenlooper said. “The Colorado Department of Corrections did what was required by law and released Mr. Lima-Marin to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The family has shown amazing strength, and we hope this is a temporary stop on his way to being reunited with his family.”