Houston father and son celebrate birthday amid mother's ICE detention
The Brief
A Houston father and son are celebrating the child's first birthday without the mother, who has been detained by ICE at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe.
Shirly Guardado, married to an active-duty Army service member, was arrested despite attending court hearings and having her sponsor petition approved.
The family remains hopeful and connected through video calls, as they plan a Lion King-themed birthday celebration for their son.
HOUSTON - A Houston family faces a bittersweet birthday celebration as the child's mother remains detained by ICE at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe.
What they're saying
Aysaac Correa and his wife, Shirly Guardado, should be celebrating their son's first birthday together. Instead, the celebration happens through a video call as the family awaits Shirly's fate—whether she will be deported to Honduras.
Shirly Guardado was arrested by ICE nearly two months ago and has been detained at the Montgomery Processing Center. Despite entering the country illegally, she had been attending her court hearings and is married to Aysaac, an active-duty Army service member.
PREVIOUS REPORTING:Houston family faces separation after ICE arrests Honduran mother despite documentation
"It sucks because we're so close but so far at the same time," said Aysaac Correa, referring to his weekly one-hour visits at the detention facility. Their son was 10 months old when Shirly was detained; today, he turns one without his mother present.
"It's been hard. My mom and my wife have been planning the birthday for a long time, and her not being here, it's not fair," Aysaac added.
Denise Martinez, Aysaac's mother, traveled from Puerto Rico to support her son.
"It's difficult, and despite being one year old, the baby keeps calling 'mama, mama,'" she said.
With interactions reduced to weekly visits and video calls, Shirly continues to express her love and longing for her family. The family plans to celebrate Kylian's first year with a Lion King-themed party.
"As soon as he was born, I picked him up and held him in the air like Simba and sang the song, and my wife loved that," Aysaac reminisced.
What we know
Shirly entered the U.S. illegally in 2014 at age 16 and was issued an expedited removal order, later released under supervision. She has consistently reported to immigration authorities, graduated from high school, and married Asyaac, an active-duty U.S. Army service member, in 2022. In 2023, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved Asyaac's petition for Shirly, making her arrest unexpected.
Dig deeper
When a petition is approved by USCIS, it means they have determined the petitioner meets the requirements for the requested immigration benefit and has approved the petition. This approval is typically followed by an official notice, such as Form I-797 Notice of Action, which can be used as evidence of the approval.
Correa filed Shirly's petition, and it was approved on November 18, 2023, and is sponsoring her request for Military Parole in Place – which the couple were waiting for.
Military Parole in Place (PIP) is a program that allows certain family members of U.S. military personnel, veterans, or reservists who entered the U.S. without authorization to remain in the country for a specified period. It provides temporary legal status to these family members, enabling them to stay while addressing their immigration status and potentially applying for permanent residency.
The Source
FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with Aysaac Correa and the family's attorney, Martin Reza.
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