A US soldier's wife who was detained by immigration agents at the military base where he is stationed - just days after their wedding - has been released. Annie Ramos, 22, an undocumented immigrant who came to the US as a toddler, was arrested on April 2 and spent five days at a detention centre alongside hundreds facing deportation under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Immigration officials described Ramos as an illegal alien from Honduras who was arrested after attempt to enter a military base. I feel awesome. Relieved. Relieved, Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank told the New York Times after his wife's release. These have been the worst days of my life.
The couple had traveled from Houston to the Louisiana base to obtain a military ID for Ramos and activate her military spouse benefits, with plans to move her onto the base over Easter weekend. Instead, Blank said, she was ripped away from him last week. During an appointment at the base, the couple presented Ramos's birth certificate, Honduran passport, their marriage license and Blank's military identification.
Ramos was placed in handcuffs by ICE agents before being driven away in a military vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security has said that Ramos has no legal status to be in this country. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona immediately contacted Blank to assure him he would push for Ramos' release, and upon her release remarked, I'm happy Annie is back with her husband and family where she belongs.
Ramos, a biochemistry student, expressed that, All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby... I want to finish my degree... just as my husband serves our country with honor. The case highlights the complex intersection of military service, immigration policy, and personal lives in the United States.
Immigration officials described Ramos as an illegal alien from Honduras who was arrested after attempt to enter a military base. I feel awesome. Relieved. Relieved, Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank told the New York Times after his wife's release. These have been the worst days of my life.
The couple had traveled from Houston to the Louisiana base to obtain a military ID for Ramos and activate her military spouse benefits, with plans to move her onto the base over Easter weekend. Instead, Blank said, she was ripped away from him last week. During an appointment at the base, the couple presented Ramos's birth certificate, Honduran passport, their marriage license and Blank's military identification.
Ramos was placed in handcuffs by ICE agents before being driven away in a military vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security has said that Ramos has no legal status to be in this country. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona immediately contacted Blank to assure him he would push for Ramos' release, and upon her release remarked, I'm happy Annie is back with her husband and family where she belongs.
Ramos, a biochemistry student, expressed that, All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby... I want to finish my degree... just as my husband serves our country with honor. The case highlights the complex intersection of military service, immigration policy, and personal lives in the United States.
