Woman Detained Despite Green Card Alleges Hispanic Bias

(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA) A Brazilian woman says federal agents detained her in September 2025 during what she believed was a routine green card appointment in Los Angeles, despite documents showing she had legal status and a clear path to become a permanent resident.

“She took me because I’m Hispanic,” said Barbara Gomes Marques May, describing the hours that followed as a blur of buses, holding rooms, and transfers across several states before she could contact her husband. Her account, along with new figures from advocacy groups and policy analysts, is fueling growing alarm that ICE detention is sweeping up Latinos with and without legal status, sometimes on the basis of appearance and language rather than evidence of a crime or a prior removal order.

The detention incident: what happened to Barbara Gomes Marques May

May, who has no criminal record, said she arrived at the interview with proof of an approved petition filed by her U.S. citizen husband and identification that, in her words, showed she was “legal here.”

According to her attorney:

• Agents questioned her about where she was born, what language she spoke at home, and her work history.
• Despite her presenting documentation, agents placed her in custody.
• Her lawyer describes the detention as an example of Hispanic profiling, where Latino identity is treated as a stand-in for unlawful presence.

ICE did not respond to questions about her case by deadline.

“I kept saying I have papers. They kept saying they had to check,” May recounted.

Broader pattern and new data

Immigrant advocates say the case echoes a broader pattern that intensified since early 2025.

Key figures and findings:

• Since January 2025, about 15,000 street arrests of people without criminal records, 90% of them Latin Americans — reported by VisaVerge.com based on local legal aid groups and federal court filings.
• These numbers do not include arrests at homes, workplaces, or local jails.
• Community organizers in Southern California report a chilling effect: people avoiding hospitals, withdrawing children from after-school programs, and skipping routine immigration appointments out of fear.

A Los Angeles advocate tracking enforcement in the San Fernando Valley said: “We’re seeing long-time residents, even those with U.S. citizen spouses or kids, being taken in on thin grounds.”

How targets are chosen, according to lawyers and filings

Lawyers say the distinguishing factor in recent detentions is how agents decide whom to stop.

Reported targeting methods include:

• Physical appearance (e.g., perceived Latino features)
• Language use (Spanish speakers singled out)
• Known job sites employing undocumented workers, such as:
  • street vending
  • construction pickups
  • food processing plants

This approach reportedly expanded after a September 2025 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, lawyers contend, allows immigration agents in Southern California to target people based on race, Spanish language use, and work associated with undocumented labor.

Civil rights advocates warn:

• The ruling effectively legalizes racial profiling by immigration authorities in their view.
• It risks ensnaring U.S. citizens and legal residents who appear Latino or speak Spanish.

“This is a green light for discriminatory stops that would be unconstitutional in any other context,” said a civil rights attorney who helped file an emergency petition in federal court.

ICE’s position and legal authority

ICE maintains that:

• Officers exercise discretion to focus on people who pose threats to public safety or who have prior removal orders.
• The agency cites federal authority to detain those who may be inadmissible or deportable, including some green card holders suspected of certain crimes or immigration violations.

However, attorneys argue that when stops begin with appearance and end with detention despite valid documentation, the action amounts to profiling.

Practical advice local public defenders now give clients with lawful status:

• Carry multiple forms of ID and proof of status at all times.

For official guidance on custody and facility information, the public can consult ICE’s detention resources at the agency’s website, including its page on detention management and location tools available through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s official site.

Human impact: transfers, family separation, and legal hurdles

May’s experience illustrates the immediate human toll:

• She described being transferred from Los Angeles → Arizona → Texas before reaching a facility where she could make a phone call.
• Officers did not tell her when she would see a judge or whether she could seek bond.
• Her husband, a U.S. citizen, spent days trying to locate her; every call resulted in another number and no clear information.

Consequences of such practices include:

• Difficulty securing lawyers
• Trouble gathering documents in time for hearings
• Prolonged detention even when a person has a valid claim to stay

Civil rights groups also warn that aggressive arrest targets—referred to internally as “meet the numbers”—encourage shortcuts that downplay individual circumstances.

VisaVerge.com analysis suggests arrest rates in some Southern California corridors rose sharply after internal directives emphasized location- and occupation-based sweeps near transit hubs and open-air job markets.

A Los Angeles legal clinic reported three cases this fall where Latino U.S. citizens were detained for hours until a relative produced a passport.

Policy context and administration responses

Enforcement priorities have shifted across administrations, but many underlying detention policies persist:

• Under President Trump, immigration arrests increased markedly; critics said racial profiling complaints rose.
• Under President Biden, the administration pledged to focus on serious threats and promised reforms.

Advocates say recent Southern California enforcement patterns reflect a harder edge. The administration defends its strategy as lawful and necessary, stating it continues to review training and oversight.

The Department of Homeland Security emphasizes that:

• People in custody can seek legal counsel.
• Detainees may request release under supervision.

ICE points to public information on custody procedures, facility locations, and family contact procedures available on its website.

Legal challenges and advocacy response

May’s case highlights another legal fault line:

• While green card holders can be detained if suspected of certain offenses, lawyers say many are held without timely bond hearings or clear notice of charges.

Actions taken by legal aid groups:

• Several Southern California legal aid organizations have filed habeas petitions challenging prolonged custody of lawful residents and applicants with pending approvals.

Quote from a nonprofit attorney in Santa Ana: “Mandatory detention rules are sweeping up people who will win their cases. But by the time they do, they’ve lost jobs, housing, and sometimes custody of their kids.”

Community responses and practical steps:

• Legal screenings and “know your rights” sessions are being organized.
• Common guidance from community groups:
  • Carry proof of status
  • Speak to a lawyer before signing anything
  • Have a plan if a family member is detained

Current status and potential legal test

May says she now avoids places where officers might patrol: “I’m scared all the time. I never thought this could happen to me.”

Her lawyers are:

• Seeking her release from ICE detention
• Planning to challenge what they call an unconstitutional stop rooted in Hispanic profiling

They contend her case could become a test of how far the September 2025 ruling reaches—and whether courts will intervene when a person has already shown, on paper, that they are on firm legal ground toward permanent residency.