A family of Latino younsters excitedly welcomed their mother home after she and her husband had been detained for almost a month by the US Border Patrol.

Rosenda Perez was freed on bail and will continue the legal process at home with her four Duarte children: Francisco Jr, 19, Luis, 17, and the twin daughters Aracely and Yarely, 12, who were left to fend for themselves after their parents were locked up.

The mother of the family said she felt thankful, and above all thankful to God, after being freed just a sort distance from the international border crossing with Mexico in San Ysidro.

The kids' mother was detained with her husband Francisco Duarte last May 23 in a Border Patrol operation in National City, California.

Last Friday an immigration judge set bail for the Mexican immigrant, while denying the same to her husband, who remains behind bars at the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Perez told the media that she hasn't lost hope that her family will soon be reunited, and will assure her husband that soon all will be well.

Francisco Jr., who had been left in charge of his three younger siblings, expressed his thanks to the community for standing by them when times got hard.

The oldest Duarte said that early in the day he started decorating the house with flowers and balloons for a joyous welcome-home to mom, adding that "you never lose hope" and you keep going forward.

On Monday night, this city south of San Diego unanimously passed a resolution to adopt the slogan "compassionate community," and at the same time, to back state bill SB-54, which if approved, will make California a "sanctuary state.

The vote took place just minutes before Rosenda Perez was set free.

"At least now the kids will be with their mother, and let us hope that soon they will also be back with dad," National City Mayor Ron Morrison told EFE.

"I want to make sure they get due process, you can't just lock up people with no criminal record, and that's one of the points of the resolution we passed last night. The federal government must have a court order - it can't go around arresting people without one," the mayor said.

Rosenda and Francisco Duarte were detained on suspicion of sheltering undocumented immigrants in their home, though no charges have been brought against them.

Both came to the United States from Mexico 20 years ago, and since have developed an ice-cream business, beginning with pushcarts in the streets.