ICE apprehended a nursing mother; her Marine veteran spouse is battling for her liberty.
In a heart-wrenching plea, Adrian Clouatre, a 26-year-old service-disabled US Marine Corps veteran, is urging President Trump to pardon his wife, Paola, and allow her to apply for a green card. Adrian's wife, a 25-year-old woman who arrived in the United States from Mexico in 2014, is currently detained by ICE at the Richwood Correctional Center near Monroe, Louisiana.
The Trump administration's tough immigration policies have significantly impacted families involved in the green card application process and other legal immigration pathways. Key aspects of these policies include mass deportations and increased ICE activity, the revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the use of the Alien Enemies Act and other legal measures, criminal prosecution of immigration violations, pressure on local governments and sanctuary cities, and financial and bureaucratic strains.
These policies have led to increased detentions and deportations, including the separation of families with mixed citizenship status. Fear of raids and deportations has disrupted green card applicants' lives, delayed application processing, and undermined the ability to maintain family unity during the process.
Paola, who did not speak English and did not understand much of what was happening when she arrived in the United States, is one of the many individuals affected by these policies. She spent her teenage years in homeless shelters. The Clouatres began the green card process for Paola, but the tough immigration climate has made the process challenging.
Adrian met Paola in a club in Palm Springs, California, during his last year in the military. They got married in February 2024, and they are parents to a 2-year-old child, Noah, and a 3-month-old child, Lyn. Adrian expresses his desperation to be reunited with his wife, describing her as his best friend and the love of his life.
Paola's lawyer, Carey Holliday, has filed a motion for an immigration judge to reopen Paola's deportation order case. Adrian is also trying to arrange for the facility to allow Paola to use a breast pump, as she was breastfeeding Lyn until her detention in May.
The White House has declined to comment about Adrian's letter. The Clouatres didn't know about Paola's deportation order until a week before her detention. Paola's mother and she had lost contact after arriving in the United States.
Adrian believes his experiences as an intelligence specialist in the Marines help him endure the current situation. He hopes that his plea will reach the President and that Paola will be released and granted the opportunity to apply for a green card.
- Adrian Clouatre, a service-disabled US Marine Corps veteran, is urging President Trump to consider the impact of the administration's tough immigration policies on mental health, given his wife's detention and the challenges they face in the green card application process.
- In the heart of the health-and-wellness debate, Adrian Clouatre, a US Marine Corps veteran, finds himself advocating for the mental health and family well-being of his wife, Paola, who is currently detained by ICE, urging President Trump to reconsider immigration policies that have disrupted their lives and the lives of countless others.
