The wife of a US soldier who was detained last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at her husband’s Louisiana military base was released from federal custody on Tuesday.
“All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby,” Annie Ramos said in a statement following her release.
Ramos, a Honduran immigrant, arrived in America as a toddler. In 2005, after her family missed an immigration hearing, a removal order was issued for her, the New York Times reported.
In early April, Ramos, who is now 22, was detained days after her nuptials to Matthew Blank, 23, a US army staff sergeant who is preparing to train for deployment.
The pair had previously tapped a lawyer to aid Ramos in her path to citizenship, according to the Times. She had applied for protection from deportation in 2020 under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), but her application was not processed.
Her detention on 2 April came after the couple travelled to the Louisiana base, intending to enroll Ramos in the military’s spouse benefits.
Per the Times, the Department of Homeland Security cited a final order of removal in regards to Ramos’s case. “This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law,” the department said in a statement obtained by the outlet.
Ramos’s focus is on obtaining legal status, according to her Tuesday statement.
“I want to finish my degree, continue my education, and serve my community – just as my husband serves our country with honor,” she said.
“I am deeply grateful to my husband, Matthew, who never stopped fighting for me, and to our families and community who surrounded us with love, prayers, and support. Because of them, I am home.”