Brazilian man detained by ICE at green card interview, veteran wife to leave US
Nov 24, 2025·Location: San Diego, CA
Country of origin: Brazil

Matheus Silveira, 30, a Brazilian national, was detained by ICE agents during his green card interview at a USCIS office in San Diego on November 24, after his marriage-based application had just been approved. His wife, Hannah Silveira, an Army veteran and California attorney, said agents burst into the interview room and arrested her husband on a warrant tied to his overstaying a student visa, despite their marriage. He remains at Otay Mesa Detention Center, where he has described inadequate food and sleeping on the floor in a crowded room, and has since been granted voluntary departure rather than deportation, barring his return to the U.S. for 10 years. The couple, married since August 2024, now plans to relocate to Rio de Janeiro once he is released.
Sources
More incidents in California
- Haitian student freed after judge grants habeas petition following ICE arrest near campusOct 16, 2026 · San Diego, CA
- Nurse detained by ICE at LAX during Disneyland trip, fights removal with ankle monitorOct 15, 2026 · Los Angeles, CA
- Two ICE watchdog volunteers arrested in Santa Ana after agents accuse them of stalkingOct 14, 2026 · Santa Ana, CA
- Fresno parents detained by ICE on way to work, leaving four children behindOct 14, 2026 · Fresno, CA
- Farmworker's car window smashed, detained by ICE despite valid work permitOct 14, 2026 · Kerman, CA
- Mexican man says ICE agents stopped him over his appearance in MaderaOct 13, 2026 · Madera, CA