Who is Cynthia Olivera and why was the Canadian mother detained by ICE in California
'We feel totally blindsided,' Olivera's husband, a US citizen and self-identified Trump voter Francisco Olivera, told KGTV. "I want my vote back.'
Cynthia's case, tied to a 1999 deportation order, has drawn attention.
Read More: 6-year-old with leukemia detained by ICE. Then this happens
Who Is Cynthia Olivera?
Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Olivera moved to the US at age 10 with her parents from Toronto. She has lived in Los Angeles for over 35 years, attending elementary, junior high, and high school there.
She married Francisco Olvera, a US citizen, in the 1990s, and they have three US-born children. Olivera worked legally in 2024 under a Biden-era work permit, paid taxes, and has no criminal record.
In 2023, with her children grown, Olivera hired a lawyer to pursue legal residency through her marriage, culminating in the June 13, 2025, green card interview.
Read More: Why was Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr arrested by ICE agents? Key details emerge
Why Was She Detained by ICE?
In 1999, Olivera traveled to Canada for her mother's funeral. At the Buffalo border crossing, she was denied re-entry after disclosing she was pregnant and planned to give birth in the US, leading to an expedited removal order for residing in the US illegally.
She re-entered via San Diego months later without inspection, which ICE later cited as a felony.
During her green card interview in Chatsworth, ICE agents detained her after a security guard singled her out. Her husband waited outside, and the interviewing officer did not return.
She was handcuffed and transferred to an El Paso, Texas, detention center. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, 'ICE arrested Cynthia Ivanna Olivera, an illegal alien from Canada, who was previously deported and chose to ignore our law.'
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