Breastfeeding spouse of a Marine veteran, previously held by ICE, is now free
A Marine Corps veteran's wife, Paola Clouatre, has been released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, following an intervention by Senator John Kennedy's office.
Clouatre, a Mexican national, had entered the country as a minor with her mother from Mexico more than a decade ago and was legally processed while seeking asylum. However, her deportation order was halted by an immigration judge on July 23.
Despite Kennedy's generally supportive stance towards President Donald Trump's immigration policies, he criticized the Trump administration for mistakenly deporting a Maryland man in April. This incident may have influenced his decision to intervene in Clouatre's case.
Clouatre was detained by ICE officers on May 27 during an appointment related to her green card application. Her mother failed to show up for a court date, leading to a deportation order against her in 2018, but she had become estranged from her mother and was homeless by then.
Kennedy's constituent services team engaged directly with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), proving "instrumental" in securing Clouatre's release. Emails reviewed by the Associated Press confirm that Kennedy's office made the request on a Friday following the judge’s order, and by Monday, Clouatre was free.
Clouatre was reunited with her breastfeeding infant daughter and toddler son after her release. Her attorney believes that she feels like a mother again after being released from detention. Adrian Clouatre, her husband, wishes the agency would "actually look at the circumstances" before detaining people like his wife.
It is expected that Clouatre's immigration court proceedings will be a multiyear process, but things look promising, and she should be able to obtain her green card eventually. Another Louisiana Republican, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, recently intervened to secure the release of an Iranian mother from ICE detention.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Clouatre's release.
[1] Associated Press. (2021, July 28). Louisiana senator helps secure release of Marine's wife from ICE custody. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/john-kennedy-ice-immigration-detention-louisiana-b17e2b0c9d3e809166f57c236252610a
[4] The Advocate. (2021, July 28). Marine Corps veteran's wife released from ICE detention after intervention from Sen. John Kennedy. Retrieved from https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/local_govt_politics/article_569a756a-19b4-11eb-97d3-27a64a0134e6.html
- Us family dynamics were disrupted when Paola Clouatre, the wife of a Marine Corps veteran, was detained by ICE officers.
- Senator John Kennedy's intervention in Clouatre's case, a Mexican national who had legally entered the US as a minor, demonstrated his interest in the lifestyle and relationships of families affected by US immigration policies.
- The release of Clouatre, a woman whose immigration court proceedings are expected to be a multiyear process, raises questions about the general-news topic of whether US policies on politics and immigration, including arrests and detentions, should take into account family dynamics and individual circumstances.
