A Wisconsin man remains loyal to Trump after ICE detains his Peruvian wife during their return from their honeymoon trip.
A Wisconsin man is standing by his vote for President Trump even after his wife was detained by ICE.
This situation has brought a lot of attention to his family and their struggles.
Trump voter’s wife detained after honeymoon trip
Bradley Bartell, a Trump supporter, recently faced a difficult situation.
His wife, Sylvia Camilla Muñoz-Lira, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after they returned from their honeymoon in Puerto Rico.
The couple was traveling back to Wisconsin Dells when she was detained at the airport.
Muñoz-Lira, originally from Peru, had overstayed her J-1 visa. She has been in the U.S. since 2019 to participate in a work-study program.
After the pandemic started, she could not return home. In May 2024, she married Bartell, and they thought it was safe to travel while her immigration paperwork was pending.
Bartell expressed his shock when he learned of his wife’s detention. He said it felt like “a slap in the face.”
“I was in shock and unsure what to do at the time. It was terrible.”
After she was taken, he waited a week before finding out where she was being held. This period was filled with uncertainty and fear for him.
Now, Bartell speaks with his wife daily, but he is worried about her well-being.
Muñoz-Lira is currently at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana, and he fears for her mental and physical health.
“She’s worried because there’s a lot of uncertainty in how this is all going down,” he explained.
The newlywed is seeking donations for legal fees
The couple is facing significant legal challenges. Bartell has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for legal fees, which could be as high as $15,000.
He originally planned to use that money for a down payment on a home.
Bartell has received many supportive messages, but he has also faced criticism for his political beliefs.
“Me, personally, I’m happy to have anyone who wants to come here and have a good life and live responsibly but there is a problem with letting gangsters come here too,” Bartell said.
Trump voter still supports the president even after ICE detained his Peruvian wife
Bartell voted for Trump in the last election and does not regret his choice. However, he feels that the immigration policies have gone too far.
He initially thought that the administration would only target immigrants with criminal records.
Now, he sees that ICE is detaining many people, including those like his wife, who are not criminals. He wants to see changes in how immigration cases are handled.
“I still support our president,” he stated, despite the current situation.
“It’s kind of a tough slope. I just feel they need to get stuff moving on this because they’re holding a lot of people and it’s costing the taxpayers money.
It’s taking a long time to even get dates set for people to speak with judges.”
Attorney works to secure release for detained wife.
David Rozas, an immigration attorney representing Muñoz-Lira, is working to get her released.
He hopes to secure a bond for her so she can fight her removal proceedings outside of detention.
Rozas confirmed that Muñoz-Lira does not have a criminal history, which should help her case.
“We’re hoping to be able to follow bond any day now and hopefully she can get out on bond to where she can fight her removal proceedings while outside of detention with her family,” Rozas said.
“But don’t have any word yet, we’re just hoping that this will come soon.”
Social media reactions
One user said: Remembering the renewal dates and deadline times are extremely important…. Should have taken care of that before marriage.
The second user wrote: This is just sad af, I hope the divorce comes sooner. Date to marry smart not hard
The third user mocked: Wow! He must really love his wife!
The fourth user said: the fastest way to get out of a marriage I guess.
Another user wrote: I hope she doesn’t stand by him for long
Someone said: Bashing him for laws being laws is dumb.. if my girl drink and drives and gets arrested.. hey it is what it is you knew it was illegal