Canadian mother detained in the U.S. as Trump-voting husband feels 'totally blindsided'
A Canadian woman has been detained in the U.S. during her green card interview for being in the U.S. illegally, California-based KGTV reported Thursday.
Cynthia Olivera’s green card interview was on June 13 in California. As she went into the interview room, her husband, Francisco Olivera waited outside. “We feel totally blindsided. I want my vote back,” Francisco told KGTV after Cynthia was detained.
On June 13, 2025, ICE arrested Cynthia Ivanna Olivera, an illegal alien from Canada, who was previously deported and chose to ignore our law and again illegally entered the country.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 7, 2025
A judge issued her a final order of removal in 1999, and she was deported to Canada. That same… https://t.co/W41NfN6DcO
Francisco is a U.S. citizen and self-identified Trump voter. The U.S. president’s promises to deport dangerous criminals appealed to the couple, but they didn’t think Cynthia’s lack of legal U.S. status would be a problem — no criminal charges were found under Cynthia’s name by KGTV.
“The U.S. is my country,” Cynthia told KGTV from an immigration detention centre in El Paso, Texas. “That’s where I met my husband. That’s where I went to high school, junior high, elementary. That’s where I had my kids,” she said.
The 45-year-old was born in Canada and moved to the U.S. as a 10-year-old with her parents. In 1999, when Cynthia was 19 years old, U.S. border officials determined she was living in the country without a legal status and an order was obtained to deport her.
After being removed, Cynthia returned within a few months by driving to San Diego from Mexico, The Guardian reports. “They didn’t ask me for my citizenship — they didn’t do nothing. They just waved me in,” Cynthia told KGTV.
For the next 25 years, Cynthia is reported to have worked in Los Angeles where she paid taxes and provided for her family. She has three children who were born in the U.S. As she navigated the onerous task of obtaining a green card, she was granted a permit by the Biden administration in 2024 that allowed her to work legally in the U.S.
“The U.S. is my country. That's where I met my husband. That's where I went to high school, junior high, elementary. That’s where I had my kids,” Cynthia Olivera, 45, said in a tearful interview from an immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas.
— ABC 10News San Diego (@10News) July 4, 2025
https://t.co/IHcKAo8UX4
Meanwhile, the Trump administration referred to Cynthia as an “illegal alien” who will “remain in ICE custody pending removal to Canada.”
“A judge issued her a final order of removal in 1999, and she was deported to Canada. That same year, she reentered the country illegally AGAIN. Reentering the county after being deported is a FELONY. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal to Canada,” the Homeland Security said in a post on X.
“The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return,” the Homeland Security said.
Cynthia reportedly told officials that the couple can pay for her to fly to Canada, where she would live with a cousin in Mississauga, Ont.
“Despite offering to pay for her own flight back to Canada and waive her rights to a bond hearing, she remains locked up at an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas,” reads a petition on change.org .
Canadian woman speaks out about her treatment in U.S. detention
Global Affairs Canada confirmed the detention of a Canadian citizen in the U.S. but could not disclose any further information due to privacy concerns.
“Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders,” spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod told National Post. “The Government of Canada cannot intervene on behalf of Canadian citizens with regard to the entry and exit requirements of another country.”
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