The family of a North Carolina woman detained by immigration officers shares their story

Jeff Bennett:

Among the tens of thousands arrested in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, many are convicted of violent crimes, but nearly three-quarters of those in ICE custody have no criminal record. That’s according to reports by TRAC, a nonpartisan data collection platform.

Amna Nawaz recently spoke with the family of a young woman, a young woman arrested by federal immigration officers in North Carolina.

Amna Nawaz:

Last month, Border Patrol arrested 23-year-old Fatima Isela Velasquez Antonio at her work site in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is the video of that moment, captured by a family friend.

Despite having a legal work permit and no criminal record, she remains in ICE custody in Lumpkin, Georgia, today. After the death of her parents, Fátima left Honduras at the age of 14, entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor and requested asylum. Her family chose not to be interviewed due to concerns about their immigration status.

But they asked Gene Smith, her aunt’s friend, to speak on their behalf. Join us now.

Jane, welcome to the NewsHour. Thank you for joining us.

JANE SMITH, FATIMA FAMILY FRIEND ISILA VELASQUEZ-ANTONIO: It’s a pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Amna Nawaz:

It has been more than a month since Fatima was detained. When was the last time you or anyone in the family was able to talk to her? What can you tell us about her condition?

Jane Smith:

I was able to talk to her over the weekend. She was in good spirits. I know she was in touch today with her boyfriend and other family members. And she’s just – she’s worried. She’s been locked up. She is trapped and wants to go home. She doesn’t really know her legal future and what will happen tomorrow.

So she’s really worried. Most of the time, she is worried about her family. She wants them to be happy and to know that she – she knows that they are on her side and that they are praying for her. She only supports them, which is ironic because she is the one who needs our support.

Amna Nawaz:

Let me ask you about the day in November that she was arrested, because we saw federal agents show up at a number of job sites across the country and in different places.

On the day you went to work, was there any reason to believe the same thing would happen to Fatima?

Jane Smith:

No, not from my side, no.

But, that morning, her aunt, who is my friend, owned a business. “Jenny, some of my employees can’t make it or can’t work today,” she said.

I said: “Why not?”

They – she said – have a fear of being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “I blew it off carelessly,” he said, “if-” “You can’t let anyone dictate how you run your business.”

After a few hours, five or six hours, she received a call saying that Fatima was locked up. Now he hits me right in the face. So I feel really ashamed and apologetic. And what she told her family that day, she said through tears, she was locked up — not that day, but when they were finally able to talk to her, she told them, she said, “I’m glad it was me, not you.”

Amna Nawaz:

Knowing her as you do, why do you think she said that?

Jane Smith:

Because she is a good child and loves her family. If anyone could bear the brunt of this administration’s corrupt policies, I think she would be willing to take that bullet for her family.

Amna Nawaz:

Tell us more about it, so we know who we’re talking about here. As I mentioned, she came here when she was only 14 years old. She lost both her parents.

Jane Smith:

Yes.

Amna Nawaz:

Why did she come to the United States? She told us about the life she built during her years here.

Jane Smith:

Well, you know, she lost her mother when she was about 12 years old. I think her mother died of cancer. Her father was killed by gang members when he was about 14 years old.

She sought asylum here in the United States, to the only country where she felt safe, and to her family, who reside in North Carolina. Since she was here, she came as an unaccompanied minor, as I said. She created a life for herself. She did exactly what the government asked her to do. I graduated from high school.

Obtained a valid work permit and social security card. She pays taxes. She had a lucrative job. She bought a house with her boyfriend a few months ago. This is quite an achievement at the age of 23 years old. So she’s just a good kid. She loves her family, nieces, and cousins. She is just enjoying life.

She is a blessing to be around. I think if anyone deserves a pass, it’s this young lady.

Amna Nawaz:

And I just want to be clear on this point, Jane. Our understanding is that she has no criminal record. She has had some traffic violations, which would be civil violations, over the years. Is this correct?

If so, what is your understanding of why she was arrested and why she is still detained?

Jane Smith:

This is correct. She has no criminal record at all, except for minor traffic violations. ICE came to North Carolina under a sweep, starting in Charlotte, and the next day they were in Wake County.

She was arrested in Cary. They interviewed her that day. I think the video shows she has a valid work permit. That day, she picked up the wrong piece, but she had a working one. They decided that since her papers were not valid at the time, they would detain her.

Since then, we have been trying to get her released on bail. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has ruled that detainees cannot receive bail at this time.

Amna Nawaz:

Jane, I have to ask you, because I know from your previous conversations with my colleague that you supported, and I believe — I understand that you continue to support President Donald Trump, and that you voted for him.

This is the person who campaigned against mass deportations, and said that anyone who is here illegally will be deported and deported. Although she requested asylum, Fatima entered the country illegally. So I guess the question is: Didn’t you expect someone like her to be targeted by this administration?

Jane Smith:

I can’t understand that his policies were aimed at someone like her.

Unfortunately for me and perhaps for many Americans, we don’t really realize the extent of immigration and how this system is broken. And I didn’t do that. I certainly didn’t. Now that it’s close to home, I see how broken this system is.

I voted for Trump. I still support Trump. I understand you need to, we certainly have secure borders.

I will contact Trump now. President Trump, if you listen to this and then see this, please release her. She’s a good baby. I still support you. I support your policies. I believe our immigration system is flawed and broken. We need to fix this, because the only ones being punished are young women like her who deserve to go home with their families.

Amna Nawaz:

Jane, I just have to ask, when I say you support his policies, the administration will say, that’s their policy. The goal is to arrest and deport anyone who is here without legal status.

What do you say to that?

Jane Smith:

I believe our law states that she should not be detained while she is there – she is awaiting the adjudication of her case. She came as a minor. She did not commit a crime. She did everything the US government asked of her.

I don’t think Trump intended for this to happen, or for her to be deported. I support his policies. I just don’t support this.

Amna Nawaz:

Let me show you what the Department of Homeland Security shared with us when we asked them about her case.

They said in part that she admitted to officers that she was in the country illegally. “The judge will hear all of her claims. She will receive full due process,” they say. They also blame the Biden administration for using discretion, they say, to indefinitely delay several illegal aliens, including her case.

They also say, Jane, she has the choice to leave voluntarily or be arrested and deported. Are you concerned that she might be deported to Honduras?

Jane Smith:

I believe in God, and I believe that God is in control. It’s not a flight risk. She is not a danger to society so, I hope that she will be granted her right to stand trial and released on bail, so that she can stay with her family in the community during the separation process, so that she can become a US citizen.

So I don’t think she will be deported. I hope and pray you don’t. If she is deported, it will be a travesty in my opinion.

Amna Nawaz:

This is Gene Smith speaking on behalf of the family of Fátima Isela Velasquez Antonio.

Jane, thank you for your time.

Jane Smith:

Thank you. I appreciate you. Thanks for having me.