‘I feel betrayed’: US Army soldier fighting to get wife, mother of 5-year-old son, back from ICE

LEESVILLE, La. (KALB/Gray News) - A U.S. Army soldier says he is proud of his service but is feeling betrayed after immigration authorities detained his wife.

Staff Sergeant Alexis Jaramillo has spent 11 years serving the United States Army. However, the Puerto Rican-born aviation specialist said the country isn’t standing behind his family.

“I don’t feel good. I feel betrayed because of the way this has been treated,” Jaramillo shared.

According to Jaramillo, his wife, Maisa Lopes Eliaser, has been detained for more than a month following what they believed was a routine immigration interview.

On July 8, he said the family drove eight hours to Montgomery, Alabama, where Jaramillo had previously been stationed for a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement meeting.

Jaramillo noted that during the interview, an immigration officer separated Eliaser from him and their 5-year-old son, Noah. Minutes later, he said they got the news no one expected to hear at a government appointment.

“That’s when they gave me the bad news in front of my child. They said, ‘Your wife has been detained.’ I don’t want to recall back that moment because it is really hard,” he said.

Eliaser has been in the country since 2019 from São Paulo, Brazil, on a visa. The couple married, and they filed paperwork to change her immigration status.

Immigration attorney Michael Gahagan has practiced immigration law for nearly 20 years. He is not involved in the case, but said situations like this are more common than people think, especially if someone misses an appointment.

“She came in on a visa, she applied for asylum, and then she married this guy while her asylum application was pending. They sent her a biometrics appointment notice — come to this office to have your fingerprints taken — and she didn’t show. At that point, they can actually deny your asylum application, then issue an administrative arrest warrant. So whenever she shows up for the marriage interview — they got her,” Gahagan said.

Jaramillo confirms his wife missed that biometrics appointment, saying they believed their marriage paperwork had replaced it.

“We never did that appointment because we already submitted all the paperwork for our marriage,” he said.

But Gahagan said one filing does not cancel the other. Missing that appointment set off a chain of legal consequences, including a removal order issued by a judge, without Eliaser ever knowing about it.

“Once that motion to reopen is filed, just filed, it stops the deportation right there. But right now, it’s a race against the clock. ICE is contacting her home country’s consulate, trying to get travel documents to deport her,” Gahagan said.

According to Gahagan, there doesn’t appear to be any further hearings scheduled, with the judge issuing a deportation order.

“It’s up to the husband to hire a lawyer and file that motion to reopen,” Gahagan continued.

Jaramillo said he has hired an attorney and they are appealing. But the fight is taking a toll, financially and personally.

“I just started feeling more overwhelmed, because all this is costing me a lot of money. And my financial situation right now, it is not good,” he said. “It’s affecting me a lot mentally, and I cannot even perform my job well to serve in this country.”

Eliaser is currently held at the ICE Processing Center in Basile, and Jaramillo said she is struggling.

“She is not doing well. She is really depressed and really stressed,” he said.

The hardest part, Jaramillo said, is watching their son try to understand why his mother isn’t home with school starting this week.

“My main concern is his mental stability. I was looking forward to mom being here so she can go buy stuff for him, take him for his first day of school. Because this is going to be the first time she’s not there,” he said.

When asked what happens if his wife is deported, Jaramillo didn’t hesitate.

“That is my nightmare right now. What’s going to happen with the Army? It is a lot into it, and thinking about that is a nightmare,” he said.

To critics who say no one is above the law, Jaramillo has a direct answer:

“We are not breaking the law here; we’re trying to comply with the law. That’s the only thing I need to say.”

Jaramillo said his wife is a loving mother, and he is not giving up, calling on lawmakers to step in.

“Every single representative, senator, everyone. Everyone has that power. Please help me out here. And I, for sure, will continue my commitment to this country. I have 10 more years left,” he said.

Jaramillo’s attorney has filed a motion to reopen the case with an immigration judge. According to Gahagan, that filing is critical. Once submitted, it can stop the deportation while the judge reviews the case.

ICE representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the situation.

Jaramillo has also set up a GoFundMe to help the family with costs during the legal battle.