US immigration authorities have detained the wife of an American soldier at the military base where he is stationed, only days after the pair were married, according to the family’s lawyer.
Get today's headlines by email 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Annie Ramos, 22, on 2 April at Fort Polk in Louisiana, where she had gone with her husband, US Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank, to register as a military spouse.
Relatives said the couple had gathered at the base to help Ramos obtain a military identification card and begin the process of applying for permanent residency in the United States.
Arrest at military base
Blank, 23, said he had expected the visit to mark the start of their life together following their wedding. Instead, ICE agents entered the facility and detained his wife.
“I never imagined that trying to do the right thing — registering my wife so she could receive her military ID, access the benefits she is entitled to as my spouse, and begin the process toward her green card — would lead to her being taken away from me,” Blank said in a statement.
The soldier added that instead of planning their future together, he is now working to secure her release.
Ramos, who was born in Honduras, has lived in the United States since early childhood. Her lawyer, Jessie Schreier, said she had been issued a removal order in 2005 when she was about 20 months old.
According to Schreier, the order could be enforced at any time, potentially leading to Ramos being deported to Honduras. She said such an outcome would separate Ramos from her husband, who may soon face a third overseas deployment with the US Army.
Immigration status and legal background
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Ramos was detained after she attempted to enter the military installation and noted that she does not have legal status in the country.
The spokesperson said Ramos had crossed the southern US border in February 2005 and later failed to attend a scheduled immigration hearing. As a result, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on 7 April that year.
“This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law,” the spokesperson said.
Ramos has applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a programme that protects some undocumented immigrants who arrived as children from deportation. However, new applications to the programme are currently paused following ongoing legal challenges.
Her supporters say she has spent most of her life in the United States and is pursuing higher education. Ramos received a scholarship from The Dream.US, an organisation that helps undocumented students pay for college.
Family and supporters call for release
Advocates and relatives have criticised the detention. Gaby Pacheco, president and chief executive of TheDream.US, said detaining Ramos was harmful to a military family.
“Detaining a 22-year-old biochemistry student who has lived here for two decades and is married to a US Army staff sergeant preparing for deployment doesn’t make us safer,” Pacheco said in a statement.
Blank’s mother, Jen Rickling, described Ramos as a devoted student and family member who teaches Sunday school and is close to the family.
“She is kind, smart and dedicated,” Rickling said. “We absolutely adore her.”
Ramos is currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Basile, Louisiana, according to a government database.
Blank said he intends to continue seeking her release.
“I am proud to serve this country. I am proud to be her husband,” he said. “And I will stand by her, no matter what it takes.”
Join the discussion? 
Already a member? 
Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 7 April 2026
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment