Wife of Detained Immigrant Shares Her Husband’s Prideful Decision

Sakia Navas, whose husband is currently in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), expressed that his “pride” has prevented him from pursuing U.S. citizenship after two decades in the country. Her husband, Jose, entered the United States illegally from El Salvador in 2003 and was detained in West Texas on Sunday.

Navas explained to reporters that Jose hasn’t applied for citizenship mainly out of pride and perhaps to discourage any implications that he married her for that purpose. “I encouraged him to pursue it years ago when our daughter was born. He responded, ‘I don’t want that to be seen as the reason I’m with you.’ I think, in part, his pride got in the way,” she said.

According to reports, Jose was detained by ICE after being unable to provide a driver’s license and was subsequently transferred to a detention facility in Eden, Texas. Sakia described the facility as “fully packed” and criticized ICE agents for what she sees as a harsh treatment of undocumented immigrants.

Under President Trump, the focus on illegal immigration has resulted in over 95,000 arrests as of late June. Reports indicate that more than 56,000 people remain in detention nationwide, marking a significant increase of 40% since the previous year and representing the highest number in U.S. history.

Approximately 70% of the immigrants arrested by ICE have criminal convictions or pending charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Some have been involved in serious crimes, including murder and drug trafficking.

The number of border crossings reached a historic low in June, contrasting with levels during former President Biden’s administration, which surpassed two million. In response, several Democrats have challenged ICE’s authority, with some proposing measures that would restrict agent operations.