Military Spouse Faces Deportation, Family Fights Back

0:00It's April 7. This is Durham News today, your AI-powered local news. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Blank, a 23-year-old soldier, just married his 22-year-old wife Annie Ramos on April 2 at Fort, Polk in Louisiana. Days later, immigration and customs enforcement agents arrested her right on the base, while the family tried to register her for military spouse, benefits and star her green card process. Ramos came from Honduras and crossed the southern border illegally in February 2005, when she was only 20 months old. She missed an immigration hearing, leading to a final removal order from a judge that April. Now she's detained at an ICE facility in Basile, Louisiana, facing possible deportation to a country she's never really known. The family calls his heartbreaking, especially with Blank prepping for his third overseas deployment. Ramos is a biochemistry student finishing her degree, teaches Sunday school, and they describe her as kind, smart and devoted. Supporters say splitting up a military family like this hurts our values and doesn't make

1:03anyone safer. Department of Homeland Security officials explain she has no legal status and tried to enter the secure base so they enforce the old order. She's eligible for things like a green card through marriage or deferred action for childhood arrivals, but new DACA applications are stalled in court, battles. DACA battles to keep fighting for her release, standing by his wife while serving the country he loves. This case spotlights the tough spot military families can face at the immigration crossroads.