ICE detains wife of retired Marine and mother of a 3-month-old baby on her way to a status hearing

Once again, a true horror story has emerged—this time involving ICE agents tearing apart a family. The account is particularly harrowing, as it centers on a retired serviceman and a 3-month-old baby.

In 2022, Adrian Clouatre met Paola at a club in Palm Springs, California. He was in what would be his last year of service and the two quickly hit it off. “We officially started dating a month later. Then we had our first child, Noah, and got married in February 2024,” he told CNN, which recounted the story.

The in-love couple made the move to Louisiana and Paola, a Mexican who had moved to the States in 2014 with her mother, began the green card process. Just a year later, the couple welcomed baby Lyn into the world.

Paola and her mother reportedly never saw eye to eye, and the two eventually lost contact in the US. That fractured relationship would prove crucial. An arrest order was issued for the 25-year-old mother after she failed to attend an immigration hearing. According to the account from the Clouatres, the hearing notice had been sent to her mother — who never told her daughter.

‘They verified that our marriage was real, everything was fine’

The couple, in turn, only found out that there was a warrant out against her just a week before the status hearing that concluded with her detention by ICE Agents.

“We went to a status adjustment interview where they verified that our marriage was real and, you know, said everything was fine,” Adrian told CNN.

“We found out about the deportation order about a week before the appointment and tried to reschedule, but USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) said no, so we went anyway.”

“We were honest... My wife told the truth’

“We were honest about the deportation order. At that moment, the interviewer went to tell their supervisor and came back and finished the interview. Said we had passed and to wait in the lobby for paperwork about our next appointment.”

“We were confident that, since we were married and I was a veteran, they would at least allow us to resolve the deportation order and not detain her,” Adrian admitted. “USCIS refused to let us reschedule, so we had no other choice but to go. … My wife told the truth.”

However, while sat in the waiting room, things turned sour: three ICE Agents appeared and arrested the young woman before taking her away.

‘The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000... if not, you will be arrested and deported’

CNN wrote to Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security for comment, and the replied with a chilling statement reflective of the administration’s lack of empathy: “Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App,” she added. “The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now... If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

Mr Clouatre explained to the news outlet the trauma of having to take his 3-month-old baby on a three-hour-long car journey whenever he can in between work to be breast fed.

“I must have been the most annoying husband, but I did it. Now she can pump milk, but she has to throw it away every time. And I try to bring the baby as often as I can so she can breastfeed and continue producing milk."

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He even wrote a letter to the White House, explaining the situation: it declined to comment.

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