Willmar Family Battles Deportation as Daughter’s Quinceanera Nears

(WILLMAR, MINNESOTA) As her quinceañera approaches this fall, 15-year-old Greysi is picking out a dress without her father. Noe Salinas Ramirez, 37, has been held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since February 2025 and faces deportation to Honduras for the third time since 2007, according to family members and local advocates familiar with his case. His detention has forced the Willmar household to redirect savings and community support toward legal fees instead of the coming celebration, leaving the family unsure how to mark a moment that, in their culture, means stepping from childhood into young adulthood.

The case underscores how stepped-up enforcement in 2025 under President Trump is reshaping daily life for mixed-status families across Minnesota. The administration’s approach, tied to the wider “Project 2025” agenda, has prioritized removals even for people without violent criminal records. Supporters note that Salinas Ramirez’s record shows no violent history; they cite a single misdemeanor tied to an attempted border crossing in 2016. He remains in ICE detention while removal proceedings move forward — a process that can stretch on for months and upend family routines, school schedules, and financial plans.

Family impact and daily strain

Family members say the strain began the day he was detained. His wife, Isabel Dubón, has juggled child care, work, and visits to the detention center while coordinating with lawyers. They had planned a full quinceañera for Greysi, complete with a church service, traditional waltz, and family photos with her father. Now they’re considering a scaled-back gathering at home.

Community members in Willmar have tried to help, but legal costs, travel for court dates, and the uncertainty around deportation timing have consumed both time and savings. The dress, bought early to save money, hangs in a closet; whether her father will see her wear it remains unclear.

Local advocates say this is part of a broader pattern. Increased detentions and removals have affected Central American families like the Salinas Dubóns, as well as Southeast Asian, East African, and other immigrant communities across the state. In Willmar — where immigrant workers hold key jobs in production, food processing, health care support, and services — neighbors have rallied with rides to court and child care swaps. But volunteers can’t replace a parent.

How enforcement changes affect communities

Advocates in Minnesota report these situations are no longer rare. Recent enforcement increases have led to:

• More traffic stops leading to status checks
• More workplace concerns and ICE presence
• More frequent court dates that disrupt daily life

Consequences for families include:

• Delayed cultural events and postponed medical visits
• Limited public outings and avoidance of public institutions
• Teens balancing school and milestones while fearing parental deportation

For teenagers like Greysi, the pressure is sharp: she must balance school and milestones like a quinceañera while wondering if her father will be sent out of the United States before she blows out her candles.

Policy context: Project 2025 and new registration rules

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, actions begun in spring 2025 tightened screening and broadened the pool of people at risk of removal, including those with old orders or minor offenses. The wider push includes expanded coordination between federal and local agencies and a new registration program rolled out on April 11, 2025, designed to identify people who could be targeted for enforcement.

Legal scholars warn these steps test the limits of executive power and raise questions about due process for people seeking relief, especially those with U.S.-based families and long ties to their communities.

“The combination of faster enforcement and broader targeting narrows access to humanitarian protections and shortens windows for legal responses,” advocates say.

Case background and household effects in Willmar

People close to the family say Salinas Ramirez first entered the country as a young adult looking for safety and work. Since 2007, he has faced removal twice and now a third effort. Supporters stress that he has no violent past, describing him instead as a devoted father who worked long hours to keep his children in school and help his wife pay rent and household bills.

With him detained, the family’s routine has collapsed:

• Isabel has taken on extra shifts.
• The girls often stay with relatives.
• School guidance counselors have stepped in to manage stress and academics.

The quinceañera — a key marker in Latino culture — has become a symbol of the family’s bind. A traditional party often includes a rented hall, dresses for the court of honor, food for dozens, and a photographer. The family had planned to invite extended relatives from across Minnesota; instead they’re calculating legal bills and the cost of detention-center phone calls.

Legal pathways, forms, and timing

The current enforcement climate emphasizes speed and scale, seeking to carry out removals more quickly and widen enforcement priorities. Project 2025 outlines stricter border rules, reduced access to protections like Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and deeper cooperation between local police and federal agents — factors that have increased detentions nationwide and in Minnesota.

Legal steps in removal cases are complex and time-sensitive. Common steps and forms include:

1. Detention and an immigration-court hearing.
2. If an immigration judge orders removal, the option to file an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals using Form EOIR-26.
3. Attorneys submit Form G-28 to show they are the attorney of record.
4. If ICE schedules a removal despite pending requests, families may file Form I-246 seeking a temporary stay.

Key forms and links:
– Form EOIR-26 (Notice of Appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/form-eoir-26
– Form G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative): https://www.uscis.gov/g-28
– Form I-246 (Application for a Stay of Deportation or Removal): https://www.ice.gov/forms/i-246

Attorneys stress that eligibility for these options depends on a person’s history, past orders, and legal bars—especially for those deported before. Advocates add that relief grew harder to win in 2025, as government actions narrowed access to humanitarian protections and pushed for faster case closures. Families are encouraged to speak to a lawyer immediately, gather key records, and prepare for different outcomes, including separation.

For more on ICE decision-making, families can consult ICE’s official overview: https://www.ice.gov/ero.

Legal aid groups also point to planning tools, including Minnesota’s 2025 deportation preparedness manual, which guides households through power-of-attorney forms, child-care planning, and steps for accessing records. Community organizations say these plans are now basic household documents, kept alongside school registrations and medical cards.

Effects on children, schools, and civic life

In Willmar, pastors and school leaders report higher stress among students with detained parents. Teens often shoulder adult tasks — translation, bill paying, and caring for younger siblings. Counselors monitor attendance and grades closely after a detention.

Advocacy groups argue the policy mix harms long-term integration by making families retreat from public life. Examples include:

• Skipping parent-teacher nights
• Avoiding clinics and public services
• Limiting driving even when licensed

Supporters of tougher enforcement say strict rules deter unlawful entry and protect the rule of law. The debate plays out in city halls, courts, and living rooms across Minnesota — with households like the Salinas Dubón family left to absorb the fallout.

Local elected officials sometimes press ICE for case reviews or urge DHS discretion for parents of U.S. citizen children. Outcomes vary widely: some families receive temporary stays; others face quick deportation after a final order. Repeat-return cases (multiple crossings since 2007) face stiffer federal penalties and fewer paths to relief, though each case depends on specific facts and legal history.

Community response in Willmar and outlook

Neighbors have organized rides to detention centers and weekend fundraisers to keep the family afloat. A youth group set aside quinceañera decorations after learning the family might need to cut the event budget. Small donations — grocery cards, gas money, legal-fee contributions — fill a church basket.

Key immediate needs for the family include:

• Filing a bond motion
• Monitoring an appeal window
• Seeking permission for detention-center visits to coordinate family logistics

They’ve secured pro bono help through a local network and stay in close contact with school staff to keep the girls on track. Friends say Greysi still wants to wear the dress she and her dad picked out. Whether she has a father-daughter dance depends on decisions made in federal offices far from the church hall.

Across Minnesota, attorneys and social workers say the April 11, 2025 registration rules have added new stress. Families worry that enrolling could speed up enforcement against them or relatives. Civil rights groups have filed legal challenges, arguing wide-net policies trigger errors and block fair process. Supporters of the registration say it improves tracking and helps officers carry out court-issued orders.

For many in Willmar, a quinceañera now carries questions no teenager should have to answer: How do you smile for photos when the person missing is your dad? And what do you do with a dance you’ve practiced for months if he’s not there to lead it?

Their story reflects a wider reality: in 2025, the boundary between family life and immigration enforcement has grown thin — with consequences that reach into schools, churches, and kitchen tables across the state.