Marine Veteran’s Wife Arrested While Seeking Her Green Card, Leaving Behind Toddler and Newborn

Adrian Clouatre says he was heartbroken as ICE agents led his wife away during what was supposed to be a routine green card appointment.

Paola Clouatre, a 25-year-old mother of two, has been in ICE custody since late May after being arrested during her immigration interview in New Orleans. Her husband, Adrian, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, said officials allowed him just two minutes to say goodbye.

“They let me hug and kiss her goodbye. We talked for two minutes and then they took her,” Adrian told PEOPLE. “I cried the whole way home.”

The couple lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with their two young children: Noah, nearly 2, and 4-month-old Lyn, whom Paola was still breastfeeding at the time of her arrest. Since her detention, Adrian has been driving several hours to Monroe to visit Paola at the ICE facility, bringing the children whenever he can.

Paola came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 14 with her mother, seeking asylum. According to her husband and legal team, she had no knowledge that she had missed a key immigration hearing in 2018 — an absence that ultimately resulted in a deportation order. Her lawyer says the failure to appear was due to an estrangement from her mother, who didn’t inform her of the court date.

Despite explaining this at the green card interview, ICE agents proceeded with the arrest. Department of Homeland Security officials say they were simply enforcing the law. “An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal on February 12, 2018,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “President Trump and Secretary Noem are not going to ignore the rule of law.”

Paola’s emergency motion to reopen her case was denied in May. She remains in detention, awaiting a hearing on her future.

“She’s being punished for the sins of her mother,” Adrian said. “She’s undeserving of this treatment.”

The separation has taken a toll on the entire family. Adrian says their son is showing signs of emotional distress. “He just misses her,” he said. “You can see it — there’s cracks in his personality.”

A portrait of Adrian during his Marine Corps service now hangs in their Baton Rouge home. Despite the emotional and legal challenges, he’s holding onto hope. With help from a fundraiser, the family is pursuing her release based on her marriage to a U.S. citizen.

“She has no criminal record. Neither does Adrian,” said their attorney, Carey Holliday. “They’re just good people in a terrible situation. Somebody needs to apply some discretion.”

A court hearing is scheduled for July 23 to determine what comes next for Paola.

“It’s very clear my wife is not a threat to anyone,” Adrian said. “She’s a great person, and an even greater mother.”