US immigration policies are under severe scrutiny for their handling and detention of not only illegal immigrants but also non-white US citizens. ICE is going after Visa holders, students, and even green card holders. One such troubling case of Sergio Ramirez has come up after his encounter with US immigration enforcement.
This experience has not only left him traumatized but also induced his decision to leave the country behind.
Ramirez is a lawful permanent resident of the US with an approved green card. However, after his encounter with ICE and spending months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, he decided to self-deport to Mexico.
Ramirez’s case has highlighted the most significant issue faced by immigrants, even green card holders—the issue of being detained by ICE even after having valid documentation.
Newsweek has reported that Ramirez was in detention for several months. During this time, no matter how hard he tried, he could not emerge unscathed. So, he decided that the only practical solution to all this was to return to Mexico voluntarily. His wife confirmed his decision. She claimed that the stress of being in detention and the legal process had made their lives miserable, and he opted for the only solution he could think of.
Their ordeal started when Sergio Ramirez and his wife, Kristina Ramirez, were near the U.S.-Canada border on May 29. They soon realized that they were going the wrong way and turned around. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the husband and wife were pulled over, searched and taken into custody by federal agents.
Sergio Ramirez left the country after months in immigration detention and returned to Mexico, his wife told a local outlet. https://t.co/Kos2uRAHAC
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) September 15, 2025
While Sergio remained in detention for months, Kristina was detained for three days. She is a US citizen and was born in Illinois. She claimed that federal agents accused her of lying and chided her for being illegal. After three days, while she was released, Sergio remained in custody, and finally, he decided to self-deport after taking advice from his lawyer.
The biggest takeaway from this incident was that his green card had already been approved.
Yet, no one cared.
Those who hold green cards are protected by the law and have legal rights. These include their right to re-enter the country, to work, and to receive other benefits tied to permanent residency.
However, immigration laws have numerous complications and loopholes. Under these laws, individuals who have had inadmissibility issues, mistakes during the green card process, or any part of their interaction with ICE are deemed problematic.
Sergio Ramirez, who has a green card, and his wife Kristina Ramirez, a U.S. citizen, were detained and Sergio spent months in custody before self-deporting. Now Kristina plans to leave for Mexico to join her husband of eight years. https://t.co/ldXC4I1T3x
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) September 13, 2025
The fact that the issues have been resolved is no longer valid. Ramirez’s detention is an example of how, despite having proper paperwork, ICE can re-enforce these rules, and it shows how harsh these practices are.
Ramirez is not the only victim of such rulings. Irish immigrant Donna Hughes-Brown, despite having been granted citizenship, has been under detention for a bad $25 check a decade ago. Though the case has been resolved, ICE still picked her up, and now she is in solitary confinement.
58-year old Donna Hughes-Brown, an Irish grandmother of five (married to a U.S. citizen and who has had a green card for 47 years) is facing deportation. Her alleged crime? She bounced a check for $25 a decade ago. #ICE pic.twitter.com/WMktKcN33d
— West Wing Report (Edited by Paul Brandus) (@WestWingReport) September 11, 2025
Immigrant rights groups and policy experts have criticized Ramirez’s story. They have argued that current enforcement policies are overboard. They have contested ICE’s stand, saying legal citizens should not have to live in a constant fear of deportation.
Such cases also erode trust in the immigration system.
The self-deportation of Sergio Ramirez, even after an approved green card, has revealed significant failure in US immigration policies and enforcement.
