New Delhi:
A Wisconsin man who voted for President Donald Trump says he does not regret his decision, even after federal immigration authorities arrested his wife upon their return from their honeymoon.
Bradley Bartell’s wife, Camila Munoz, a Peruvian citizen, overstayed her visa but was working toward obtaining permanent residency in the US. Despite their ordeal, Mr Bartell still supports Trump, who has pledged the largest mass deportation effort in US history. “I don’t regret the vote,” Mr Bartell told Newsweek.
“He didn’t create the system, but he does have an opportunity to improve it. Hopefully, all this attention will bring to light how broken it is,” he said.
Ms Munoz arrived in Wisconsin Dells in 2019 on a work-study visa, which expired as COVID-19 halted international travel. She worked in farming and hospitality, where she met Mr Bartell.
After initially losing his phone number, she later reconnected with him on Facebook, and they began a serious relationship. The couple eventually married but delayed their honeymoon due to the pandemic.
In February, they travelled to Puerto Rico for a long-overdue honeymoon. Upon returning, immigration agents questioned Ms Munoz about her citizenship status. When she explained that she was in the process of obtaining a green card, she was detained. She is now held in an ICE facility in Louisiana.
Speaking to Newsweek, Mr Bartell described the distress of witnessing his wife’s detention. “It’s all been a nightmare, really,” he said. “We have an attorney. The system is very inefficient, so it is taking longer than it should.”
Since sharing his story, Mr Bartell has faced backlash. “I’ve received a lot of hateful messages, plenty of people saying we deserve this. And a lot of other insults,” he said.
Donald Trump has vowed to carry out large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants, particularly those with criminal records. Growing concerns suggest that enforcement efforts are targeting individuals beyond the “worst first” approach Trump originally promised.
ICE agents have detained nonviolent offenders and legal residents as part of Trump’s deportation plans, and the White House maintains that anyone in the country illegally is considered a criminal.
Mr Bartell has criticized ICE, calling for reform. “ICE never really has any information, it seems. The system needs to be revamped for better processes and communication between departments.” He also admitted that he has considered moving to Peru if his wife is deported. “It has crossed my mind, but it would be very difficult for my son,” he said.
Mr Bartell is not the only Trump supporter affected by the administration’s immigration policies. On March 8, Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, was detained at his home in a Columbia University-owned building in front of his pregnant wife. Mr Khalil, known for his involvement in campus protests, is also being held in a Louisiana detention centre.
Since January, the US has deported 388 Indian nationals, the government told Parliament on Friday. Of them, 333 were flown back on three military flights in February.