ICE detains MAGA voter’s wife who supported Trump’s mass deportation plan

The incident has sparked debate over the human cost and reach of the Trump era immigration enforcement policies, particularly under President Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations.

Olivera, who is married to a U.S. citizen and is the mother of three American-born children, was unexpectedly arrested while complying with the legal immigration process.

According to her husband, Francisco Olvera, a Trump voter and vocal supporter of stricter immigration laws, the experience has left the family feeling “blindsided and betrayed.”

“We feel blindsided, betrayed. I want my vote back,” Francisco told ABC 10News San Diego, expressing dismay over the sudden turn of events.

Olivera, who is a staunch supporter of Trump’s mass deportation plan and currently being held in a detention facility in El Paso, Texas, told reporters that the U.S. is the only home she has ever known.

“The U.S. is my country. That’s where I met my husband. That’s where I went to school. That’s where I had my kids,” she said in a phone interview from detention.

Background and Legal History

Olivera moved to the United States from Toronto with her parents at the age of 10. She has spent the last 35 years in the U.S., attending elementary through high school, building a life in Los Angeles, working, paying taxes, and raising a family.

In 1999, she was issued an expedited removal order by immigration officials at the Buffalo, New York border crossing, after authorities discovered she had been living in the U.S. without legal status.

Despite the deportation order, Olivera returned to the U.S. that same year—an act that ICE officials say constitutes a felony under federal immigration law. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this history made her ineligible for lawful permanent residency, regardless of her marriage to a U.S. citizen.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the arrest in a statement: “ICE arrested Cynthia Ivanna Olivera, an illegal alien from Canada, who was previously deported and chose to again illegally enter the country. A judge issued her a final order of removal in 1999. Re-entering the country after being deported is a felony. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal to Canada.”

Green Card Interview Turned Arrest

Olivera had spent years navigating a complex immigration process in hopes of finally legalizing her status. She was granted a work permit in 2024 under the Biden administration, giving her hope that legal status was within reach. But when she appeared at the Chatsworth immigration office for a scheduled green card interview, the process quickly turned into an ambush.

According to her husband, security called out her name, then ushered her into an interview room while he waited outside. After she answered a few questions, ICE agents entered and detained her. The interviewing officer never returned.

“The only crime I committed is to love this country, to work hard, and to provide for my kids,” Olivera said.

She says she has offered repeatedly to pay for her own flight back to Canada, telling reporters: “I’ve gone to four different facilities, and every single facility I’ve told them: I’ll pay for my own flight. I’ll pay for it.”

Her case has garnered attention amid President Trump’s intensifying focus on mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. In public statements, Trump and his allies have asserted that anyone living in the U.S. illegally is considered a “criminal,” regardless of their community ties or lack of violent criminal record.

While the Department of Homeland Security encourages undocumented individuals to self-deport—even offering a $1,000 incentive and free flight through the CBP One app—many like Olivera have lived in the U.S. for decades and are deeply rooted in American society.

“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,” said McLaughlin.

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International and Diplomatic Response

Global Affairs Canada, the nation’s foreign ministry, confirmed that it is aware of Olivera’s detention and that Canadian consular officials are in contact with her.

“Consular officials are in contact with the individual to provide consular assistance. Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed,” a spokesperson said. “Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene with the entry and exit requirements of another country.”

Olivera is now feeling the full weight of the very policies she once supported. She is witnessing firsthand how the immigration system she and her husband championed is being used against them. Despite being a longtime resident, a taxpayer, and the wife of a U.S. citizen, her past immigration violation has taken precedence over her personal circumstances.

As a Trump supporter and advocate of strict border enforcement, Olivera is now experiencing the unforgiving reach of the same system she once defended.