A supporter of the Republican Party spoke about the detention of his fiancée — a migrant from Colombia seeking asylum — by federal agents at an airport terminal. Robert, who voted for Donald Trump in the last election, is now asking the president to help free his fiancée and has sent him a letter.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous and was identified as «Julieta», arrived at Baltimore Airport last Friday to board a flight. However, according to Univision, airline employees announced her name over the loudspeaker. When she approached, two men in plain clothes were already waiting for her. They were not in uniform and had no visible identification, but it turned out they were agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The officers informed Julieta that she was under arrest and then escorted her to an office. According to her, the agents looked like ordinary passengers. Robert, her fiancé and a Republican supporter, said he does not understand the reasons for the detention. He insists that his fiancée’s stay in the U.S. is legal under current legislation.
Appeal to President Trump and DHS version
Robert wrote a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to intervene and help free his fiancée. He expressed hope that the president he voted for would help resolve the situation. According to him, he reached out to the head of state to draw attention to what he considers a «serious mistake» of the administrative system.
For its part, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided Univision with its version of events. The agency stated that the woman «had been illegally in the United States for four years after her visa expired, violating the terms of legal entry». Meanwhile, Robert claims that all his fiancée’s immigration procedures were carried out under the supervision of experienced lawyers. He disagrees with the official version, which calls his fiancée’s stay in the U.S. illegal. «I am shocked by what happened last week. This is not what I agreed to vote for», the U.S. citizen said in a comment to Univision.
Detention conditions in the ICE center
Julieta told Univision about the conditions of her detention after being arrested in Baltimore. She recalled the moment when men without uniforms approached her at the airport. «I did everything legally with my lawyers through the procedures that the United States provided me to be here legally», she said.
The woman also stated that the conditions in the ICE center negatively affect her emotional state due to unsanitary conditions and disrespect for detainees. According to her, she cannot sleep normally and does not receive proper nutrition. «Obviously, I am only held with women, but there are cameras, and I assume everything is visible through them», she said. According to her, there is no privacy in the bathroom, which is a «constant humiliation» for all the women in the center.
The woman also stated that the conditions in the ICE center negatively affect her emotional state due to unsanitary conditions and disrespect for detainees. According to her, she cannot sleep normally and does not receive proper nutrition. «Obviously, I am only held with women, but there are cameras, and I assume everything is visible through them», she said. According to her, there is no privacy in the bathroom, which is a «constant humiliation» for all the women in the center.
Source: La Nación
