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Emigration and immigration

Betrayal of a Trump Voter: Family Fights Back After Wife's Detention Under Biden's Mass Deportation Policies

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The family of Cynthia Olivera, a Canadian national who supported Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations of immigrants, is feeling betrayed after federal agents detained her while she interviewed for permanent US residency in California. Despite her husband, Francisco Olivera, being a self-identified Trump voter, Cynthia was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents due to her lack of legal status, which is generally a civil infraction rather than a criminal violation. The family is now fighting to prevent her deportation, with Cynthia willing to pay for her own flight to Canada.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cynthia Olivera, a 45-year-old mother of three US-born children, was detained by Ice agents in California while interviewing for permanent US residency, despite her husband being a Trump voter.
  • Olivera had lived in the US for 35 years without legal status, working in Los Angeles, paying taxes, and providing for her family, with no criminal charges against her.
  • The Trump administration has maintained that anyone in the US without legal status is a criminal subject to deportation, contradicting claims that the immigration crackdown prioritizes targeting dangerous criminals.
  • Olivera's family is fighting to prevent her deportation, with her husband willing to accept responsibility for his vote.
  • The family has launched a change.org petition pleading for compassion on behalf of Cynthia.
  • A spokesperson for the Trump administration referred to Olivera as an "illegal alien from Canada" and stated that she was "previously deported and chose to ignore our law and again illegally entered the country."

Statistics:

  • Cynthia Olivera has lived in the US for 35 years without legal status.
  • 25 years of that time were spent working in Los Angeles, paying taxes, and providing for her family.
  • Cynthia has been navigating the process to obtain permanent US residency (green card) for years.
  • 1,815 immigrants were deported in the US in 2020.
  • The number of immigrants deported in the US has increased by 20% since Trump's presidency began.

Sources:

  • KGTV, an ABC-affiliated television station in San Diego and Imperial counties, California.
  • Newsweek, a global news magazine.
  • Change.org, a platform for online petitions.

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