Diana, a 25-year-old mother, faced dire consequences after attending her asylum hearing in the United States just minutes late.
Having escaped domestic abuse in Peru, she believed she was following the necessary protocols to become a U.S. citizen.
However, her late arrival led to her and her children’s detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and eventual deportation back to a country they had fled.
Diana and her two children had built a new life in the Bay Area after fleeing an abusive relationship in Peru, but that life came crashing down in June 2025 when ICE agents detained them after an office appointment in San Francisco.
She recalls a night spent on a cold floor, desperately worried for her children, who were suffering from the flu.
The family never returned to their home in Antioch, California.
Diana’s journey depicts the complexities and harsh realities of the U.S. immigration system, particularly for individuals like her who are navigating it without sufficient support.
First arriving in the U.S. in 2021, Diana escaped an abusive relationship with her daughter’s father, an army soldier in Peru.
Upon arriving in the Bay Area, Diana reunited with her family and began working hard to establish stability for her children.
She found employment cleaning houses, enrolled her son in a public elementary school, and attended church services.
Over time, the panic of their past life faded, allowing her son to make friends and even partake in a soccer team.
However, that sense of stability was shattered when Diana missed critical steps in the complex immigration process.
Under the administration of President Donald Trump, ICE’s aggressive enforcement led to the removal of at least 30 individuals from San Francisco alone since late May, making stories like Diana’s increasingly prevalent yet largely invisible to the broader community.
In the fall of 2022, Diana attempted to initiate an asylum claim.
She found an attorney to help, aiming to file her claim before the one-year deadline for asylum applications.
Unfortunately, due to a clerical error, her attorney failed to submit the claim on time.
Diana was informed that withdrawing the claim and seeking new representation might be a viable strategy.
Finding a new attorney proved to be a tough challenge due to her limited resources and understanding of the system.
She attended multiple hearings alone, struggling to comprehend the complex legal terminology and procedures.
Despite her efforts, her next significant challenge came when she arrived comparatively late to a hearing in October 2023.
Complications with her babysitter delayed her arrival by roughly 30 minutes, resulting in a removal order being issued against her.
Her subsequent attempt to appeal this decision faced significant hurdles, and legal aid remained difficult to secure.
Throughout this time, Diana appeared to struggle with understanding her obligations within the immigration process, which concerned some of the attorneys who attempted to assist her.
Experts suggest that the socio-economic struggles and cultural barriers she faced likely compounded her difficulties.
Domestic violence rates in Peru are alarmingly high, especially in regions where Indigenous languages are spoken, suggesting a pattern of systemic abuse and ignorance among women like Diana.
After months of waiting, Diana and her children were summoned to the ICE office under the assumption that she would have another chance to present her case.
The experience turned out to be a deception; upon arrival, they were detained instead.
Diana described the panic and confusion that surrounded her and her children when they were told they could not leave, despite being assured it was merely a routine check.
As the long hours dragged on, their situation took a darker turn.
By the evening, they were forced to spend the night sleeping on the office floor surrounded by the agents who had taken away their phones and personal items.
Early the next morning, Diana was allowed to contact her sister before they were bussed to a nearby airport and subsequently flown to Texas.
Throughout this journey, the ICE officials assured her that their situation was merely temporary and that she would have an opportunity to share her story.
But upon their arrival in Dilley, Texas, reality set in as they quickly transitioned into being inmates rather than asylum seekers.
Conditions and treatment at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) have been criticized since its reopening earlier that year.
Diana described the facility’s stark conditions with its unbearable heat, inadequate medical care, unsanitary conditions, and the constant presence of guards instilling fear among the detained families.
The mundane yet torturous daily routine consisted of unvarying meals and sleepless nights.
After experiencing significant hardships, including her children suffering from health issues in the facility, they received medical attention but only after lengthy delays that left Diana feeling helpless and frustrated.
The facilities reportedly housed around 300 migrants when Diana was there, but she felt it was much larger, experiencing overwhelming numbers of arrivals daily.
Days turned to weeks, with no communication and no respite in sight.
The environment was compounded by constant uncertainty and fear, and when Diana was awoken one early morning with her children to prepare for another transfer, she understood that deportation was imminent.
They were ultimately placed on a flight back to Peru with limited provisions for nourishment, drastically highlighting their dire circumstances.
After landing back in Lima, Diana found herself in a state of fear and anguish, forced to return to her mother’s home where they must keep a low profile to avoid confronting the abusive ex-husband she risked everything to escape.
Reflecting on their harrowing journey, Diana described how her children were traumatized, longing to return to the lives they had built in the U.S.
“They want to return,” she sobbed. “They say, ‘Mom, let’s go back.’ That’s where we’d made a life.”
ICE has not commented on the specifics of Diana’s case but does maintain a narrative of upholding immigration laws, even when involving families and children.
Funding for such detention facilities under President Donald Trump’s latest budget will increase significantly, continuing to support more detentions of families despite widespread criticism of the treatment of migrants in such facilities.
Diana’s story is a poignant representation of the systemic failings of the U.S. immigration system and the harsh realities faced by many families seeking safety and stability.
image source from：sfstandard
