Marine Veteran’s Wife Detained by ICE During Green Card Process

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Adrian Clouatre is speaking out after his wife, Paola Clouatre, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine green card appointment in New Orleans. Paola, a 25-year-old Mexican national who entered the U.S. as a child seeking asylum, was arrested in May due to a 2018 deportation order linked to her mother’s missed court appearance. Now detained in a Monroe, Louisiana ICE facility, she’s separated from her husband and two children—including a 3-month-old daughter she was breastfeeding.

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Clouatre, a service-disabled veteran, says the family was blindsided by the arrest and has filed to reopen her deportation case. The incident underscores growing concerns among legal experts over the Trump administration’s reduced discretion for military families facing immigration issues. Previously, immigration authorities offered leniency to veterans’ families, but a recent USCIS policy shift has resulted in tens of thousands of referrals for deportation. Despite this, Marine recruiters have continued promoting enlistment as a path to protect undocumented relatives—messaging now under scrutiny. Adrian Clouatre calls the situation “a hell of a way to treat a veteran,” as he juggles caregiving and lengthy trips to visit his wife in detention.

Source: AP News