Arelys Barahona Martinez, the wife of a retired US Army veteran, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Wednesday after attending a scheduled immigration appointment in Dallas, Texas, according to ICE records reviewed by the BBC. The 40-year-old native of Honduras was subsequently transferred to a detention facility in Oklahoma pending removal from the United States.

Barahona Martinez first entered the US illegally through the southern border in 2005 and later departed the country before returning without authorization in 2018, when immigration authorities granted her supervised release. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that an immigration judge issued her a final order of removal on November 2, 2005, stating she will remain in ICE custody pending removal.

Her husband, retired Staff Sergeant Wilmer Trujillo, served nearly 20 years in the US Army and Texas National Guard before retiring in 2021. He completed two tours in Iraq during his military career. The couple married in 2020 and reside in Princeton, Texas. Barahona Martinez has a 20-year-old son from a previous relationship; Trujillo also has two daughters from an earlier marriage.

What the Right Is Saying

The Trump administration has defended its immigration enforcement actions, asserting that all individuals must comply with US immigration laws regardless of family connections to military service members.

A DHS spokesperson stated: 'DHS and ICE value the contributions of all those who have served in the US military. US military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating immigration laws.' The agency emphasized that Barahona Martinez received full due process and was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge.

In April 2025, ICE superseded the Biden-era directive with new guidance that addresses active duty military service but does not mention family members. President Donald Trump has set ambitious deportation goals with an increasingly strict interpretation of US immigration laws. The administration has maintained that prioritizing enforcement against those with outstanding removal orders—including those who re-entered after prior deportations—fulfills campaign promises on border security.

DHS also noted that USCIS maintains provisions to expedite naturalization for qualifying military family members, arguing the system provides legal pathways for those who qualify. Regarding previous detentions of military spouses, DHS characterized one case as involving a 'criminal illegal alien' who committed federal offenses by entering the country illegally.

What the Left Is Saying

Immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about ICE's enforcement actions against military families, arguing they undermine recruitment and retention efforts within the armed forces.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who has been tracking these cases, received confirmation from DHS that between January 2025 and January 2026, US Citizenship and Immigration Services issued 113 notices to appear—charging documents that initiate removal proceedings—to immediate relatives of former US service members whose parole in place requests were denied. The government denied family members for reasons including failure to prove a legitimate relationship, criminal records, or posing a risk to public safety.

Immigration attorney Rachel Girod noted that during the Biden administration, ICE maintained a directive designating active military service by noncitizens' immediate family as a 'significant mitigating factor' in enforcement decisions. She described the previous policy as: 'You better have a good reason for arresting the spouse of a military member if you do.' The removal of that guidance has left military families uncertain about their legal standing, advocates argue.

Mark Shmueli, Barahona Martinez's attorney, said he filed a motion in Texas court to prevent her deportation while pursuing rescission of the 2005 removal order. 'I don't understand why after all this time, why they detained her,' Shmueli told the BBC. 'Because I've seen the opposite with military folks.' Immigration advocates point out that Barahona Martinez has no criminal record in the US and had been complying with supervised release requirements for years.

What the Numbers Show

According to data provided to Senator Warren, USCIS issued 113 notices to appear to immediate relatives of former US service members whose parole in place requests were denied between January 2025 and January 2026. The government cited reasons for denial including failure to prove legitimate relationships, criminal records, or public safety concerns.

ICE reported that a total of 282 aliens comprising both former members of the US Armed Forces and their immediate family members have been placed in removal proceedings during this period. ICE does not track how many of those individuals were active duty service members versus veterans versus family members separately.

Barahona Martinez is at least the third military spouse detained by ICE in recent months during scheduled immigration appointments, following similar cases involving other spouses of current and former service members. Public court documents reviewed by the BBC show no criminal record for Barahona Martinez in the US, a fact her husband confirmed.

The Bottom Line

The detention highlights an ongoing tension between immigration enforcement priorities and military family support policies. While DHS maintains that military service does not confer immigration status, advocates argue that detaining spouses of veterans who served two tours overseas sends a troubling signal to potential recruits about the treatment of immigrant families in the military community.

Barahona Martinez's attorney has filed for an emergency stay of removal while pursuing rescission of her 2005 removal order, which he says she was unaware existed. ICE acknowledged the motion on Friday and indicated her case could be eligible for a stay pending judicial review.

What to watch: Whether courts grant the emergency motion, whether additional military spouses face similar detentions during scheduled appointments, and whether Congress takes up legislation addressing the status of immigrant family members who married US citizens after years of compliance with supervised release requirements.