Retired Staff Sgt. Wilmer Trujillo, a U.S. Army and Texas National Guard veteran, urged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release his wife, Arelys Barahona-Martinez, after her detention during an agency check-in in Dallas on June 10, 2026. Trujillo expressed heartbreak over the potential deportation of his wife to Honduras amid their family’s struggles in Texas.
What Happened
Wilmer Trujillo’s wife, Arelys Barahona-Martinez, was taken into ICE custody on June 10 during a scheduled check-in appointment in Dallas, Texas. The Department of Homeland Security stated she entered the U.S. illegally and faces removal based on a deportation order issued in 2005 that was finalized by an immigration judge. Barahona-Martinez is currently held at the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma, awaiting deportation.
Key Facts
- Wilmer Trujillo served roughly 20 years combined in the U.S. Army and Texas National Guard, retiring in 2021.
- Barahona-Martinez was issued a final removal order on November 2, 2005, which DHS confirmed was lawful and final.
- She crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally twice, in 2005 and 2018.
- The couple married in 2020 and reside in Princeton, Texas, with Trujillo’s daughters and Barahona-Martinez’s U.S.-born son.
- Her son has neurofibromatosis, a medical condition requiring ongoing care.
- Barahona-Martinez’s legal counsel has filed a request to reopen her deportation case and plans to apply for Parole-in-Place to prevent her removal.
Why It Matters
Barahona-Martinez’s detention highlights ongoing immigration enforcement policies impacting military families. The case underscores the tension between immigration law enforcement and protections sought for families with U.S. citizen children, especially those with serious medical needs.
Background
Barahona-Martinez’s deportation order dates back over 20 years and was issued after she failed to appear at a hearing in 2005. Such orders have been enforced more rigorously under recent administrations. ICE arrests of military spouses, once rare, have increased amid broader immigration crackdowns since the Trump administration’s expansion of deportation priorities.
Analysis
Barahona-Martinez’s lawyer, Mark Shmueli, argued her deportation is unjust as she has no criminal record and is married to a U.S. veteran. He advocates that reopening her case and granting Parole-in-Place is the legal way to protect families like hers. Meanwhile, DHS officials emphasized the enforcement of existing removal orders as a rule-of-law matter.
Who Is Affected
Barahona-Martinez, a Honduran national and wife of a U.S. military veteran; their blended family in Texas, including a U.S.-born son with a serious medical condition; and the broader community of military families facing immigration enforcement.
What Remains Unclear
- Whether ICE will grant Barahona-Martinez release during her ongoing immigration proceedings.
- The schedule or outcome of the request to reopen her immigration case.
- How soon she might be deported if the request is denied.
What Comes Next
Barahona-Martinez’s legal team has submitted a motion to reopen her immigration case and plans to file for Parole-in-Place. Additional ICE detention reviews or hearings on her case have not been disclosed.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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