ICE Pulls Army Sergeant's Wife Off Aug. 17 Deportation Flight After Legal Impediment
Updated
Updated · Military Times · Aug 24
ICE Pulls Army Sergeant's Wife Off Aug. 17 Deportation Flight After Legal Impediment
3 articles · Updated · Military Times · Aug 24
Summary
Aug. 17 became the latest flashpoint in Cristy Maryori Villafranca Trejo’s case when DHS said she was removed from a scheduled deportation flight after a legal impediment developed.
July 11 set the chain in motion: ICE detained the Honduran national outside Fort Bliss while she rode home with her husband, Army Sgt. Hedar Leonel Turcios Juárez, and their 6-year-old daughter, citing a 2017 removal order tied to a missed court appearance.
Turcios said the family had been trying since 2024 to adjust her status after discovering the old order; their lawyer said ICE was legally allowed to detain her during the appeal, though she has no criminal record.
Camp East Montana, where she remains held, has been criticized in a July Human Rights Watch-ACLU report for force, medical neglect and barriers to legal help; Turcios said she suffered an infection and received little case information.
More than 50 military spouses and parents have been detained under the Trump administration, according to an August AP report, prompting 60-plus lawmakers to investigate whether Pentagon coordination with DHS is turning bases into deportation traps.