Brazilian woman detained at USCIS appointment, Army sergeant forced on leave to care for stepson
Jul 8, 2025 · Alabama, Brazil

Maisa Lopes Eliaser, a 32-year-old Brazilian national, was detained by ICE in early July 2025 during a scheduled adjustment-of-status interview at a USCIS office in Montgomery, Alabama, where she was seeking lawful permanent residency through her marriage to Army Staff Sergeant Alexis Jaramillo. Eliaser legally entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in June 2019 but overstayed it; she had previously applied for asylum and later sought a green card through marriage. Jaramillo, 43, who has served in the Army for 11 years as an aviation operations specialist at Fort Polk, Louisiana, was forced to take administrative leave to care for their 5-year-old stepson, Noah. Jaramillo told reporters the experience was "really overwhelming" and that he feels "betrayed" by the detention, saying "I need to take care of my kid by myself. No one is here to help me out." Eliaser is being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center. An AP investigation found that at least 52 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained by immigration officers since Trump took office for a second term.
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