Maisa Lopes Eliaser, the wife of Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo, was removed from a deportation flight to Brazil on Wednesday and released from federal immigration custody, according to statements from the family and advocacy groups. Eliaser had been detained in federal immigration custody for more than a month before being placed on the flight. According to Eliaser’s account, ICE officers on the aircraft received a phone call regarding her case mid-flight and subsequently asked whether she wished to continue to Brazil or return to the United States. She chose to return, remaining on the plane while other detainees disembarked in Brazil before the aircraft returned to Louisiana. ICE officers indicated her case had attracted public attention through online videos.
The case gained prominence following reporting by The Associated Press earlier this month that highlighted Eliaser among dozens of military family members placed in immigration detention after the Trump administration rolled back protections for such families as part of broader deportation enforcement efforts. Following the AP’s coverage, Congressional Democrats initiated an investigation into deportations affecting service members and their relatives. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former Navy officer, reportedly examined Eliaser’s case as well. Advocacy group Repatriate Our Patriots, which assisted with the case, characterized the outcome as evidence of what can be achieved when political considerations are set aside in support of military families.
Eliaser, 32, had been issued a final removal order by an immigration judge on April 15 after overstaying a tourist visa she used to enter the country in 2019. She was detained on July 8 during an immigration appointment. Jaramillo, a 43-year-old aviation operations specialist with more than a decade of Army service, took leave from his position at Fort Polk, Louisiana, to care for Eliaser’s 5-year-old son during her detention. The couple have been married since 2024, and Jaramillo is a U.S. citizen. Eliaser has another appointment scheduled to attempt to reopen her case and advance her green card application. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case represents one of several similar interventions in high-profile immigration cases involving military spouses. Annie Ramos, 22, was released from immigration detention following public outcry while her Army staff sergeant husband prepared for deployment. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat and combat veteran, reported that she personally contacted DHS requesting the release of Deisy Rivera Ortega, an immigrant spouse of an Army sergeant who completed three overseas tours, after learning of her detention from advocacy organizations. Rivera Ortega was subsequently released from custody.
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