Santa Maria man’s wife completing her medical residency in Texas arrested by immigration agents
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The wife of a Santa Maria man completing her medical residency in Texas and their five-year-old daughter were detained Saturday before boarding a flight to California
The pair were heading back to California for her husband's asylum interview later this week.
The detained woman, Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar-Barrios, is originally from Venezuela, has lived in the country for years, and has also applied for asylum an attorney working on behalf of her husband's employment-based immigration petition shared with Your News Channel Monday.
On Saturday, April 11, she and her five-year-old daughter who is a U.S. citizen, were about to board a flight from McAllen Airport in Texas back to California ahead of her husband's asylum hearing in Tustin on April 16, when both were taken into custody by federal immigration agents.
Her daughter was eventually released to relatives in Texas and the attorney working on behalf of the father shared she is working to reunite the five-year-old with her family here in California.
The girl's father, Milenko Faria Virla, lives and works in Santa Maria shared his attorney.
The local attorney noted that federal immigration authorities stated Bolivar-Barrios was detained after overstaying her visa, but no mention was made of her pending asylum application and a healthcare industry group has stated publicly that she is lawfully present in the country.
"Dr. Bolivar is lawfully present in the United States on a valid work permit, and her daughter is a United States citizen," noted a letter from the Emergency Medicine Resident's Association sent to Senators Cornyn and Cruz of Texas as well as Congresswoman De La Cruz on Sunday. "These facts underscore both her compliance with legal requirements and her strong ties to this country. Her continued detention, despite her lawful status, raises serious questions and warrants prompt review. Her detainment interrupts not only her training but also the essential care she provides. At a time when hospitals nationwide face ongoing workforce challenges, the loss of a committed emergency medicine doctor has tangible consequences for patient care and community health."
Your News Channel was able to independently confirm that Dr. Bolivar-Barrios remains in custody at the El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas since being taken into custody over the weekend.
"Dr. Bolivar poses no threat to public safety and remains deeply committed to her profession and her community," stated the Emergency Medicine Resident's Association in their letter to members of Congress Sunday. "We respectfully urge you to consider alternatives to detention that would allow her to continue her medical training and care for her child while complying fully with any legal requirements."
Your News Channel has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more information about Dr. Bolivar-Barrios' detention and its response will be added to this article when it is received.
