Man Who Came to US as Toddler and Is Married to US Citizen Detained by ICE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Martin Diaz, who came to the United States as a toddler and is married to a U.S. citizen was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Spokane, Washington, earlier this week, days after the couple received a notice requesting his visa application following approval of their I-130 petition, according to his wife's social media post.
Newsweek has reached out to his wife, Kendall Diaz, via Facebook on Saturday. Newsweek has also reached out to ICE and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Diaz's detention comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, during which people with all kinds of immigration statuses, including those with valid documentation, such as green cards or visas, have been detained and face legal jeopardy. Many have been detained at their visa appointments after receiving official notices to appear.
President Donald Trump vowed to prevent undocumented immigrants with criminal histories or backgrounds from entering and staying in the U.S. He has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history and has detained and deported thousands of people since retaking office.
Inset: Martin Diaz from a GoFundMe page raising money for his legal fees, is seen. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Baltimore Field Officer is seen on January 27 in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Inset: Martin Diaz from a GoFundMe page raising money for his legal fees, is seen. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Baltimore Field Officer is seen on January 27 in Silver Spring, Maryland.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, GoFundMe
What To Know
On Tuesday, April 29, Diaz was en route to work when he noticed he was being followed. He returned home, and after exiting his vehicle, was chased, tackled and arrested by immigration officers, local news outlet KUOW reported.
His wife shared videos of the encounter outside their residence on Facebook showing three men following Diaz as he runs back to his property, tackling him, and taking him away. "You're under arrest," one of the men can be heard saying as they straddle him on the ground.
In the footage, which appears to be taken from the property camera and possibly his roommate's phone, Diaz's roommate can be seen and heard confronting the agents, reminding them they were on private property. Kendall confirmed to KUOW that she was not home at the time of her husband's arrest, but Diaz's roommate was. She watched the videos, one from her residence's Ring camera, when she returned home.
In a second video, one officer tells the roommate, "Do not interfere with us right now," and later adds, "He's under arrest," adding he has an "Order of deportation, he's going."
The roommate, who is audibly upset, uses explicit language throughout the exchange. He repeatedly asks for information about Diaz and the agents, including, "What's your badge number?" and their names. One officer responds that it's "none of your business" and that the matter "doesn't concern" him.
The couple have been married for over six years and have been working to get Diaz permanent legal status. Diaz, a Mexican native, has been living in the country since he was just over 1-and-a-half years old.
"Last year we filed our I-130 through our marriage and it was accepted. We received a letter in the mail last week requesting his application for his visa," Kendall said in her Facebook post. I-130 forms are filed by U.S. citizens on behalf of their spouse or relative to get a green card.
Diaz pleaded guilty to criminal mischief in 2017 following an altercation with his former father-in-law, local media outlet KXLY reported. He previously had an assault charge from 2008.
"There are rapists and murderers on the street who are free and they're U.S. citizens, and they have more rights than my husband who doesn't harm anyone," Kendall told KXLY.
What People Are Saying
Kendall Diaz said in her Tuesday Facebook post: "Our families are grieving. We are scared. And I am furious for the animalistic treatment that is being condoned in this country right now, and especially to my husband."
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on April 17: "Under Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's leadership, [Homeland Security Advisory Council] HSAC will work hard on developing new Policies and Strategies that will help us secure our Border, deport Illegal Criminal Thugs, stop the flow of Fentanyl and other illegal drugs that are killing our Citizens, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has repeatedly maintained the administration's stance, saying: "If you are an individual, a foreign national, who illegally enters the United States of America, you are, by definition, a criminal. And so, therefore, you are subject to deportation."
Shandra Kearney, a friend of the couple who is organizing the GoFundMe for Diaz's legal fees wrote in the online fundraiser: "Our families are grieving. We are scared. We are asking for help in paying for the lawyer costs, to put money on his books, and hopefully not but realistically paying for his daily living in Mexico. We need our community's help right now."
What Happens Next?
As of Saturday morning, Diaz is still booked at Kootenai County Jail according to their records. He was booked there at 9:19 p.m. after being arrested at 8:45 a.m. on April 29.
His wife says she believes he will be bused to Tacoma, Washington, where the Northwest ICE Processing Center is located.
Newsweek has reached out to the Kootenai County Jail for comment via email on Saturday. Newsweek was unable to confirm Diaz in the ICE database.
Friends of the family created a GoFundMe to raise money for his legal fees. Kendall Diaz told local news outlets they have retained a lawyer.
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