Newlywed U.S. Soldier’s Wife Detained by ICE at Louisiana Army Base: ‘She Got Ripped Away from Me’

A 22-year-old military spouse remains in federal custody this week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested her at a Louisiana Army base. The incident occurred as she and her husband, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, attempted to enroll her for standard military benefits.

Annie Ramos, a college student and Sunday school teacher, was taken into custody on Thursday, April 2, at Fort Polk. She had accompanied her husband of only a few days, Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank, to the base to obtain a military ID card and health benefits before his upcoming overseas deployment.

Instead of receiving credentials, Ramos was handcuffed by military police and transferred to an ICE detention facility in Basile, Louisiana.

Ramos, a Honduran national, has lived in the United States since the age of two. According to family statements, she applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2020, completing all required biometric steps. However, her application remained stalled in a backlogged federal system.

Army Sgt. Matthew Blank should be focused on training today. Instead, he was forced into a fight against his own government to free his wife, Annie Ramos.

Annie Ramos is a military spouse – she deserves to be honored, not jailed. https://t.co/4gxPQ5Xlrc

— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) April 6, 2026

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the arrest, labeling Ramos an “illegal alien” who “attempted to enter a military base.” In a statement, DHS officials emphasized a strict adherence to the “rule of law,” citing a 2005 removal order issued against Ramos.

“Annie was 20 months old when that order was issued,” said Jessie Schreier, Ramos’ immigration attorney.

DHS officials are currently leveraging a controversial “self-deportation” incentive, offering undocumented individuals $2,600 and a flight to their country of origin.

• DHS Statement: “Being in detention is a choice… If [illegal aliens do not take this offer], you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
• Pentagon Response: The Pentagon declined to comment on the specific arrest, deferring all inquiries to federal immigration authorities.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has formally demanded Ramos’ immediate release, arguing that the spouse of a service member “deserves to be honored, not jailed.”

Staff Sgt. Blank, who has previously deployed to the Middle East and Europe, expressed disbelief that “doing the right thing” led to his wife’s imprisonment. Blank’s mother, Jen Rickling, described the situation as a failure of American values, noting that Ramos is a pillar of her local community.

“I am proud to serve this country,” Blank stated. “I want my wife home… and I will not stop fighting until she is back where she belongs.”

As Blank prepares for his latest deployment later this month, the case highlights the precarious legal standing of “Dreamers” within military households—a demographic often caught between national security protocols and shifting immigration enforcement priorities.