ICE Holds Honduras-Born Wife Of U.S. Army Veteran For Removal Under 2005 Order
ICE detained Arelys Barahona-Martinez, the Honduras-born wife of a U.S. Army veteran, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, during a routine check-in at an ICE office in Dallas, Texas.[1]
The Department of Homeland Security says she "received full due process" and that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on November 2, 2005, which it will enforce while she remains in custody.[1] ICE's detainee tracker lists her at the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma.[1] Her attorney, Mark Shmueli, says Barahona-Martinez has no criminal record and that the 2005 order was entered in absentia after she missed a hearing she says she did not know about.[1] Retired Staff Sgt. Wilmer Trujillo, who served roughly 20 years in the National Guard, appealed publicly to ICE in a CBS segment on Friday, June 12, 2026, asking officials to release his wife and saying his "heart broke." CBSNews
She first entered the United States without authorization in 2005 and received a final order of removal on November 2, 2005 after missing a hearing.[1] Barahona-Martinez returned to Honduras in 2006 with her U.S.-citizen son and reentered the United States without authorization in 2018, citing his serious medical needs and pressure from gang recruitment in Honduras.[1] In November 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied her parole-in-place request under the Keeping Families Together program because of the outstanding 2005 order. On April 10, 2025, ICE rescinded a prior directive that had treated a noncitizen's close U.S. military ties as a significant mitigating factor, and advocates say that policy shift has coincided with more detentions of military spouses.[2]
As of Friday, June 12, 2026, ICE had not reversed its decision to hold Barahona-Martinez for removal, and her attorney has sought legal steps to halt her deportation while the family and supporters press for relief.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention that in FY2023, a staggering 69% of removal orders issued by immigration courts were in absentia, highlighting a systemic issue where individuals may be unaware of their hearings. This context underscores the challenges faced by Barahona-Martinez, who claims she was not informed of her 2005 hearing. Additionally, while the summary notes her detention as part of a routine check-in, it overlooks that this incident is part of a broader trend; reports indicate that her case marks at least the third instance of a U.S. military spouse being detained during an immigration appointment, suggesting a troubling pattern of enforcement against military families following a policy shift in April 2025 that has led to increased detentions of military spouses. These additional facts point to a more complex and potentially systemic issue within ICE operations, contrasting with the more isolated portrayal in the mainstream coverage.
Show source details & analysis (3 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
In FY2023, 69% of the 231,095 total removal orders issued by immigration courts were in absentia orders.
FY2023 Immigration Court Data: Case Outcomes — Congressional Research Service
From October 1, 2025 through April 4, 2026, ICE carried out 234,236 removals, on pace for more than 460,000 for full FY2026.
ICE Detention and Deportation by the Numbers — Austin Kocher Substack
📌 Key Facts
- Arelys Barahona-Martinez was detained on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, during a routine check-in at an ICE office in Dallas, Texas (Arelys Barahona-Martinez).
- The Department of Homeland Security says she “received full due process” and that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on November 2, 2005, which the agency says it will enforce while keeping her in ICE custody pending removal (final order of removal).
- ICE’s detainee tracker lists her as being held at the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma (Diamondback Correctional Facility).
- Her attorney, Mark Shmueli, says Barahona-Martinez has no criminal record and that the 2005 removal order was entered in absentia after she missed a hearing she allegedly did not know about (Attorney Mark Shmueli).
- Background reported: she first entered the U.S. without authorization in 2005, gave birth to a U.S.-citizen son, returned with him to Honduras in 2006, and reentered the U.S. unlawfully in 2018 because of his serious medical needs and pressures from gang recruitment in Honduras (U.S.-citizen son).
- The reporting notes that under the second Trump administration, detentions of military spouses — once rare — have become more frequent as part of a broader mass deportation campaign (second Trump administration).
- On Friday, June 12, 2026, retired Staff Sgt. Wilmer Trujillo — who served roughly 20 years in the U.S. National Guard — publicly appealed to ICE in a CBS segment to release his wife, saying his “heart broke,” and as of June 12 ICE had not reversed its decision to hold her for removal (retired Staff Sgt. Wilmer Trujillo).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Article confirms ICE detained Arelys Barahona-Martinez on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, during a routine check-in at an ICE office in Dallas, Texas.
- DHS states she "received full due process" and that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on November 2, 2005, which the Trump administration says it will enforce, keeping her in ICE custody pending removal.
- The piece specifies she is currently held at the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma, according to ICE's detainee tracker.
- Attorney Mark Shmueli says Barahona-Martinez has no criminal record and that her 2005 removal order was entered in absentia after she missed a hearing she allegedly did not know about.
- The article details that she first entered the U.S. without authorization in 2005, gave birth to her U.S.-citizen son, returned with him to Honduras in 2006, and then reentered the U.S. unlawfully in 2018 due to his serious medical needs and gang recruitment pressures in Honduras.
- The report notes that under the second Trump administration, detentions of military spouses by ICE, once rare, have become more frequent as part of a broader mass deportation campaign.
- On Friday, June 12, 2026, CBS aired an interview in which retired Staff Sgt. Wilmer Trujillo publicly appealed to ICE to release his wife, Arelys Barahona-Martinez, who is detained for removal under a 2005 immigration order.
- Trujillo, who served roughly 20 years in the U.S. National Guard, described his emotional reaction to learning of her detention and removal prospects, saying in the CBS segment that his 'heart broke.'
- The segment reinforces that Barahona-Martinez is currently facing deportation and that ICE has not, as of June 12, reversed its decision to hold her for removal.