The wife of a U.S. Army sergeant was detained in March by federal immigration agents outside her workplace in Texas before being deported to Honduras last month.
Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment.
Why It Matters
This case highlights the impact of immigration enforcement on U.S. military families, which lack guaranteed protection from detention or deportation. According to the advocacy group Fwd.us, as many as 80,000 undocumented spouses or parents of military personnel may currently reside in the United States.
Military Parole in Place is a discretionary program that allows undocumented spouses, parents, or children of U.S. military members—including active-duty, Selected Reserve, or honorably discharged veterans—to remain in the country temporarily and avoid deportation. It also provides a lawful entry record (“parole”) that can help eligible individuals apply for a green card without leaving the U.S.
What To Know
Shirly Guardado, the wife of U.S. Army Sergeant Ayssac Correa, was taken into custody in March 2025 in the parking lot of her Houston workplace and held in federal detention for nearly three months.
His sister-in-law called and told him “They’re taking Shirly away!”
She was deported to Honduras on May 30, her 28th birthday, despite the couple’s ongoing efforts to secure legal status through a military parole program. The couple have a 1-year-old son.
Guardado entered the U.S. without authorization in 2014 at age 16. She was apprehended at the border and issued an expedited removal order. After later marrying Correa, she sought legal residency through a process available to immediate relatives of active-duty service members.
According to Mother Jones and FOX 26 Houston, Correa’s petition was approved in 2023 by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but the existing removal order complicated the case.
On March 13, 2025, Guardado was asked to step outside her office by individuals identifying themselves as Department of Public Safety officers. She was instead detained by ICE and transported to a detention facility in Conroe, Texas. Correa was not immediately notified and only learned her location after three days, when Guardado contacted him from detention.
The couple applied for military parole in place, a program designed to allow certain undocumented relatives of U.S. service members to remain in the country during the adjustment of status process. However, USCIS denied the request, citing Guardado’s prior removal order.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Army Sergeant Ayssac Correa said: “I kept thinking, ‘Oh, she’s gonna get out tomorrow. She’s gonna get out tomorrow.’ And then that turned into almost three months.”
What Happens Next
Following Guardado’s deportation, Correa has applied for a transfer to Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras to reunite with his wife and son.
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