El Paso, Texas - The attorney of a US Army sergeant's wife says ICE tormented her client by promising to release her – only to reveal that the "release" consists in deportation to Mexico.
Deisy Fidelina Rivera Ortega, the wife of active-duty US Army sergeant Jose Serrano, was abducted and detained by ICE on April 14 in El Paso while attending a routine immigration appointment.
Serrano described ICE as being "out of control right now… taking away rights," and told CBS News that he still doesn't understand why Rivera Ortega was abducted, seeing as she has "followed the rules of immigration by the T."
Attorney Matthew Kozik, who's representing Rivera Ortega, revealed to ABC News that she was informed on Wednesday of her imminent release. Shortly after, however, officials revealed that she would be deported to Mexico.
"Deisy was elated and informed us that she had been directed by immigration officials to gather her belongings, as she was to be released today," Kozik said.
He explained that he went on to contact officials in the Department of Homeland Security, where he was met with a very different story.
"DHS/ICE denied that she was being released back into the United States, but that Ms. Rivera-Ortega was informed that she would be released, but that her release was deported to Mexico," he explained.
The DHS went on to release a statement disparaging Rivera Ortega as a "criminal illegal alien," and insisting: "Work authorization does not confer any legal status to be in the country."
"I can't sleep even with medication," Serrano told ABC News. "It's super painful and stressful to not be able to do anything."