A Wisconsin Trump Voter's Wife Detained by ICE in Louisiana

Bradley Bartell and Camila Muñoz who has been detained by ICE for the past four weeks

A Wisconsin resident is struggling to reunite with his wife after she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while in the process of applying for legal residency.

Bradley Bartell and his wife, Camila Muñoz, were returning from their honeymoon in Puerto Rico when they were stopped by an immigration agent at the airport. Muñoz, originally from Peru, was taken into custody after being questioned about her citizenship status. She is now being held in a private immigration facility in Louisiana.

Bradley Bartell, who voted for Trump, was traveling back from his honeymoon with wife Camila Muñoz when she was detained by immigration officials at the airport. She is being held in a facility in Louisiana after overstaying her visa.

Muñoz had been living in the United States since 2019, working legally on a W-2 visa until it expired. She had applied for a green card and had been paying taxes, with no criminal record. Bartell, a U.S. citizen, believed that her ongoing legal status would prevent complications.

Bartell expressed frustration over the situation, stating that authorities were already aware of his wife’s background. He spent nearly a week trying to locate her and has since spoken with her by phone. He described her current conditions as difficult, saying, “It can't be easy being trapped in a room with 100 other people. They don't have anything in there. It's just so wasteful.”

Camila Muñoz was detained at the San Juan, Puerto Rico, airport

The couple had been saving money to buy a home, but those funds have now been redirected toward legal fees. Bartell launched a fundraising campaign with a goal of $30,000 to cover legal costs and potential bond fees, which he estimated could exceed $10,000.

Overstaying a visa is classified as a civil violation rather than a criminal offense. While the law allows for a waiver process when the immigrant is married to a U.S. citizen, current immigration enforcement policies have expanded deportation efforts. Legal experts warn that individuals who were previously not prioritized for enforcement are now being detained.

The incident reflects broader immigration enforcement trends, with authorities detaining individuals across various backgrounds, including professionals on work visas. Recent cases include the deportation of a kidney specialist on an H1-B visa, despite a court order allowing her to remain in the country temporarily.

Bartell continues to fight for his wife’s release as legal proceedings unfold.