Emotional Battle: Soldier Fights to Halt Wife’s Deportation Post Base Detention

A U.S. Army staff sergeant is advocating to halt his wife’s deportation after she was detained by federal immigration agents at a Louisiana military base shortly after their wedding.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank, 23, brought his wife, Annie Ramos, 22, to Fort Polk last week to initiate processing for military benefits and a green card, as per the Associated Press.

Ramos reportedly arrived in the U.S. in 2005 at under 2 years old. Her family purportedly missed an immigration hearing that year, leading to a final removal order, as disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security.

DACA Application Status

Ramos applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2020. However, her application remains pending due to legal challenges against the program.

Blank expressed his shock at the turn of events, stating that he thought taking appropriate steps for his wife's immigration paperwork on the base was the right move.

Impact on Military Families

In 2022, a federal policy considered military service by an immediate family member in immigration enforcement decisions. However, this policy has since been rescinded.

The Department of Homeland Security clarified that the current policy does not exempt individuals with prior violations from enforcement actions.