An Army soldier's wife was pulled off a deportation flight to Brazil this week by federal agents who explained she was "famous," according to reports on Friday.
An Associated Press investigation identified Maisa Lopes Eliaser as one of dozens of military spouses and parents who had been detained following the Trump administration's rollback of protections for military families as part of its broader mass deportation efforts, The Boston Globe reported.
Eliaser's husband, Staff Sergeant Alexis Jaramillo has served in the Army for 11 years and went public about what happened to his wife, who was ripped from his side during what the couple, their son and translator thought was an adjustment-of-status appointment on July 8 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Eliaser was on a deportation flight bound for Brazil Wednesday when ICE officers onboard got a mid-flight call about her case, according to The Globe.
An ICE officer offered Eliaser the choice to returning to the U.S. Once the plane landed, other detainees were taken away and Eliaser stayed on and was taken back to Louisiana.
ICE officers reportedly told her she had become "famous" because footage related to her case was circulating online.
"Who made the call? We don’t know," Jaramillo said. "But someone made the phone call, and then she came back."
Jaramillo said he had to take leave from his training duties at Fort Polk, Louisiana, while his wife was in custody.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former Navy officer, had looked into his Eliaser's case, Jaramillo said.
Danitza James, who leads Repatriate Our Patriots, an organization that supports military families facing deportation and assisted with Eliaser's case, responded to her release.
"This family’s reunion is proof of what’s possible when people set politics aside and do right by those who serve," James said. "We won’t stop until every military family facing detention gets the same chance at justice."
Although he was told there would be no further issues with his wife's case, Jaramillo is still worried. He said his wife was treated like "an animal" and has been struggling with sleep.
"It felt like I was in a nightmare," Eliaser said. "I could not believe what was happening until I returned to my house. Day by day, I’m trying to recover from this trauma."