Federal immigration officials have detained a Long Island mother of five, her family and lawyer say.
Efforts are now underway to win the release of Brentwood’s Nuvia Martinez Ventura.
“She’s a good person. Just give her an opportunity,” begged her older brother, who asked his name be withheld.
Immigration officials took Martinez Ventura, 30 into custody on June 11 during a scheduled check-in at the federal offices in Manhattan.
She has since been moved to Houston, Texas, and is in danger of being deported, according to her East Islip lawyer, Ala Amoachi.
Martinez Ventura is a stay-at-home mom with no criminal record, according to Amoachi.
Her children range in age from 3 to 11 and are dealing with challenges like autism, learning disabilities and juvenile diabetes.
Her 11-year-old son was hospitalized for complications of diabetes, shortly after she was detained, according to her brother. The kids don’t understand what’s happening with their mother.
“They always ask for her,” the brother said of the children. “It’s very hard to explain the situation. We have no words to tell them what happened to her.”
Martinez Ventura is a native of El Salvador who arrived in the U.S. without documentation in 2016. According to her brother, the young mom and two of her kids had seen gangs murder her husband, a former soldier.
Immigration officials have denied Martinez Ventura’s requests for asylum on two occasions, says her lawyer.
She has continued to seek legal status to remain in the United States.
“She’s has been checking in with ICE. She has not missed her appointments. There was no reason to detain her at this point in time,” says Amoachi.
ICE did not a request for comment on this case.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office is now looking into the case, according to Amoachi, in an attempt to bring the young mom home.
“What are they going to do without their mom? Their mom is the only thing they want,” said her brother.
“ICE should do the right thing and release her with an ankle bracelet or under supervision. That’s in their right,” Amoachi added.
