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By Andrew Stanton
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a man named Rafael Alambarrio, who was told he would have a green card within 60 days, his wife said.
His attorney, Caitlin Twyman, told Newsweek that he has no criminal record and that historically, individuals under his circumstances would not have been detained by ICE. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek that he “illegally entered” the U.S. and is expected to remain in ICE custody.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, specifically targeting those with violent criminal records, and his administration ramped up immigration enforcement since his return to office in January 2025. However, reports suggest some individuals with no criminal records or nonviolent convictions have also been swept up in the heightened immigration operations.
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Recent polls, however, suggest some Americans are turning on Trump's immigration policy as the administration faces growing scrutiny over the conduct and tactics of immigration officers in places like Minneapolis.
DHS said in January that more than 3 million undocumented immigrants were deported during his first term in office.
What to Know
Rafael Alambarrio, who was born in Venezuela, is among those immigrants who have been detained by ICE amid Trump’s heightened immigration enforcement. He met Heather Alambarrio in Dallas at a salsa dance in the spring of 2024, Heather Alambarrio told Newsweek. She initially became friends with his cousin, who was visiting, but eventually the two became to “see each other in a more than friends light,” she said.
The two wed more than a year later in June 2025.
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After their wedding, they began the process that would allow him to become a lawful permanent resident and obtain a green card. He was told after a November interview that he would receive his green card within 30 to 60 days, Heather Alambarrio said*.*
However, the Trump administration soon announced a pause on green-card applications from 19 countries, including Venezuela, bringing the green card process to a halt.
“We walked out just over the moon, feeling so relieved, thinking that maybe by Christmas, he could have a green card. Even faster than we thought. Literally the next day, the administration announced a pause for processing those I-130 spouse petitions,” she said.
In January, Rafael Alambarrio was detained during a routine check-in with ICE, Twyman told Newsweek. The couple was aware of this possibility leading up to his detainment and prepared by trying to prepare funds for legal fees or a bond, Heather Alambarrio said.
He is being held at the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas.
He immigrated to the United States in 2023 after protesting against the Venezuelan government, Twyman said. He crossed the border without permission but surrendered himself to Border Patrol. While in detainment, the government determined at the time that he had a credible fear of political persecution in his home country, so he began the asylum-seeking process, he said.
She said it is “alarming” that her client is the kind of person who is being detained.
“Historically, if you had someone like Rafael who had committed no crimes, who had reported faithfully to all of his check-in appointments, who had abided by what was asked and had two bona fide applications to legalize his status—those would be factors that would mitigate against detention in the past,” she said.
Heather Alambarrio, who visited with her husband on Wednesday, said he is feeling anxiety and stress while being held but is trying to “spread hope.” For instance, he is helping teach a man who is facing deportation how to read.
“It’s hard to share hope when you’re personally so discouraged and anxious,” she said. “So I think how he’s doing is OK considering, but this is pretty traumatizing, especially if you have been previously held by a communist regime.”
If it were not for the pause on applications from Venezuelans, his green-card case would likely be over by now, Twyman said.
Heather Alambarrio said that people “throw out a lot of words” about immigrants but that her husband has been contributing to society and has no criminal history.
“It feels cruel that you can follow the rules and processes and be trying to work through the systems and the proper channels, even though it takes a lot of energy, time and money, and suddenly it’s paused,” she said.
A GoFundMe for the couple has raised more than $26,000 to cover legal fees.
Heather Alambarrio wrote in a Monday update to the GoFundMe that they learned ahead of his first court appearance that bonds are “being denied consistently by the federal immigration judge who has jurisdiction over Prairieland.”
What People Are Saying
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek: “ICE Dallas officers arrested Jose Rafael Cardenas Alambarrio, an illegal alien from Venezuela, on Jan. 15. Cardenas illegally entered the U.S. August 2023 and was RELEASED under the Biden administration. He is expected to remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings.”
An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek: “ICE Dallas officers arrested Jose Rafael Cardenas Alambarrio, an illegal alien from Venezuela, Jan. 15. Cardenas illegally entered the U.S. August 2023 under the Biden administration which allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens to enter the country. He is expected to remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings.”
A GoFundMe for Alambarrio reads: “Rafael is not a criminal. He followed the rules and relied on legal counsel every step of the way. His detention has been devastating for their family. Heather is a Texas teacher who serves her community every day, and the funds raised will go toward urgent legal fees and supporting their family during this sudden loss of income.”
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused. Lawful Permanent Residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention and/or may be asked to provide additional documentation to be set up for an immigration hearing."
What Happens Next
Alambarrio had a court appearance on Monday and received a continuance, his attorney said.
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