When U.S. Marine veteran Adrian Clouatre escorted his wife to her green card interview on May 27 in Baton Rouge, he expected answers and a path toward permanent residency, not an arrest. Instead, Paola Clouatre, a 25-year-old mom of two who’s lived in the U.S. for a long time, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This left her husband and their little ones (including a 19-month-old son and a 9-week-old daughter) heartbroken. “I gave up the best five years, you know. People thought the best years of your life, your college years. I went and spent that in the military,” Clouatre told local outlet WVUE. “At the very least, I would like to be able to keep my wife.”
The couple had been living in Prairieville, Louisiana, since Adrian’s departure from the military.
Originally from Mexico, Paola entered the U.S. with her mother in 2014. A missed asylum hearing in 2018 triggered a removal order for both of them. It was one Paola had only recently discovered days before her USCIS interview.
An Argentinian came into our Kendall field office to interview for a Petition for Alien Relative. Our thorough background checks revealed he had an outstanding final order of removal since 2006! We contacted @ICEgov and the alien was immediately arrested. pic.twitter.com/iowpBUwQW9
— USCIS (@USCIS) May 6, 2025
She was open about it during the session, but was detained by ICE instead of proceeding with her application.
ICE’s Missteps Tear a Marine Veteran’s Family Apart
According to the couple’s attorney, former immigration judge Carey Holliday, Paola’s arrest resulted from “bad legal advice” early in her immigration journey.
Despite having no criminal history and being forthright at her interview, her past removal order was flagged. And ICE agents were quickly called. “They pass the interview with flying colors, but told the examiner that she had a final order of removal. Someone, probably the examiner, called ICE, and she was arrested,” Holliday told HuffPost.
Now held at Richwood Correctional Facility in Monroe, Louisiana, Paola can see her children only when Adrian drives 3.5 hours each way. The facility’s lights are off from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., which makes sleep difficult, and she is still breastfeeding their baby.
Adrian mentioned he’s seriously considering moving to Mexico because it could mean being with his wife. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said in a GoFundMe update launched to offset legal costs needed to battle the ICE out.
Holliday has filed an emergency motion to reopen her case and keep the removal order pending.
Selective Enforcement Leads to Immigration Debate
The news of Paola Clouatre’s arrest has hit home during a time when the country is talking about the decisions ICE can make. The Donald Trump government told ICE to hold back on arresting people in agriculture, hospitality, and food service because the business owners are worried. But that hasn’t stopped cases like Paola’s, even if they have families here, have served in the military, and have been abiding by laws.
“Trump, let’s face it, he was elected to do what he’s doing,” Holliday said. “But, there needs to be exceptions made.”
BREAKING: ICE is now at 109% detention capacity and has been forced to release some illegal aliens from its custody – CBS News
Yesterday, they released roughly 160 illegals. They’re currently holding close to 42,000 illegals despite only having 38,521 beds in their detention… pic.twitter.com/2dCbrnWXop
— George (@BehizyTweets) February 4, 2025
ICE has averaged over 1,300 arrests daily in June (double the rate seen at the start of Trump’s current term), according to internal data obtained by CBS News. With over 56,000 people in ICE custody, critics argue that the agency’s sweeping enforcement tactics are ensnaring families trying to follow the rules. While the administration has made a rare concession to protect farms and hotels from labor shortages, it has shown no similar flexibility in cases where families are impacted.
The contrast is stoking outrage from both immigration advocates and veterans’ groups.
As the legal battle to bring Paola home continues, Clouatre’s ICE case is becoming a rallying cry for reforms that consider family unity, service to the country, and a more humane application of the law.
