Bradley Bartell, a Wisconsin native, never imagined that his vote for Donald Trump in the last presidential election would come back to haunt him so brutally.
His wife, Camila Muñoz, a Peruvian woman who had been living in the United States for several years, has been detained for over a month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Her only offense: an expired visa during the pandemic, according to USA Today, as cited by BFMTV.
The couple’s nightmare began last February. Bradley and Camila had just returned from their honeymoon in Puerto Rico when, upon arrival at the airport, an immigration officer approached Camila and asked if she was a U.S. citizen. When she answered no, she was immediately taken into custody and transferred to an immigration detention center in Louisiana, where she remains a month later.
Bradley Bartell was in shock. “What the hell am I supposed to do?” he cried out in despair as he watched his wife being arrested, USA Today reported. He couldn’t understand how a woman with no criminal record, who worked and paid taxes in the United States, could be locked up like a criminal. “This is absurd,” he protested.
What shocked him even more was that when they left for Puerto Rico, Camila passed through airport security without any issues. Why was her return so different?
Originally from Peru, Camila Muñoz moved to the U.S. on a temporary visa. After earning a degree in human resources, she secured an apprenticeship contract at a Wisconsin amusement park.
However, her visa expired at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to return to Peru, she remained in the U.S. and found new jobs—first on a local farm, then at a hotel—all while working hard to support herself.
Despite her uncertain immigration status, she paid her taxes and had a W-2 form, proving that she was contributing to the country’s economy. Yet, this did not protect her from a harsh arrest and the threat of deportation, her husband lamented, according to USA Today.
Bradley Bartell was not opposed to Donald Trump’s policies. On the contrary, he voted for him last November, convinced by his promises to strengthen border security and deport “criminal illegal immigrants.”
But today, he deeply regrets his choice. “I knew they were cracking down, but I guess I didn’t know how it was going to play out,” he told USA Today. What he once saw as common-sense policy now appeared in a completely different light: a ruthless system that destroys lives—including those of well-integrated individuals like his wife.
“They know who she is and where she comes from. They need to do thorough background checks and not keep people like her locked up,” he said.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, immigration authorities have significantly toughened their practices. Jesse Franzblau, a policy analyst at the National Immigrant Justice Center, explained that ICE has “greatly expanded its scope,” meaning that people who were previously spared from these measures are now being arrested, according to BFMTV, citing USA Today.
Camila’s lawyer, David Rozas, an immigration specialist, reminded that “anyone who is not a lawful permanent resident or a U.S. citizen is at risk of being forced to leave the country,” he said in an interview with USA Today.
Behind this case lies the uncertain fate of Bradley and Camila. Since her arrest, the couple’s savings have been rapidly depleting due to legal fees. “I’m worried about her. (…) It’s a waste,” Bradley Bartell said, his voice breaking, as described by USA Today.
Beyond the financial burden, their future as a couple is in jeopardy. If Camila is deported, will she ever be able to return to the U.S.? Or will they be forced to consider a life together far from the country where they had settled?
For now, Camila Muñoz remains behind bars, trapped in a system that her own husband once supported—never imagining it would one day come knocking at his own door.
