A Marine veteran from Louisiana is sharing his story after his wife was detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement during her green card interview last month.
Adrian Clouatre, who sacrificed five years of his life serving in the military, told Fox affiliate WVUE that he just wants to be able to keep his wife.
The Marine veteran met his wife, Paola, in Palm Springs, California, in 2022 while serving in the Marine Corps. After leaving the military, the couple settled in Prairieville, near New Orleans.
GoFundMe / Adrian Clouatre
Paola was in the process of obtaining permanent resident status and had a scheduled appointment with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on May 27. However, she discovered just days before the appointment that she had a deportation order dating back to 2018 when her mother failed to attend an asylum hearing.
Paola Clouatre, a Mexican citizen, revealed during her green card interview that she had a pending removal order and was working with a lawyer to address it. Despite this, ICE agents arrived after the interview and detained her.
The couple’s lawyer, Carey Holliday, emphasized that Paola has no criminal record and that they are working to reverse the removal order and reunite her with her family.
Currently separated from her husband and two young children, Paola is in custody at Richwood Correctional Facility in Monroe. Adrian has been making the long journey to visit her and care for their children.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family with legal expenses during this difficult time.
Amid efforts to bring his wife back, Adrian is critical of the immigration enforcement policies, stating that legal processes should not result in families being torn apart.
