Mother of four, University of Iowa custodian, detained by ICE, facing deportation
Sep 22, 2026Florissant, MOGuatemala
Fatou Traore, a University of Iowa custodian and mother of four, was detained by plainclothes agents on September 24, 2026, while driving to pick up her sister for work in Iowa City. She was subsequently moved through detention facilities in Cedar Rapids, Hardin County, and Omaha before being transferred to ICE's Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana. Her husband and sons, including 19-year-old Esoumaila, remain in Iowa City, and the family is continuing to raise money for legal fees, travel, and resettlement costs as they prepare for her deportation to Guatemala.
