Paula Callejas dreamed of expanding her business jersey trade to Florida, but she could give it up after being owned by the US immigration and customs authorities (ICE).
The family of the 45-year-old woman says that her finances are put to the test while trying to understand the complicated functioning of the migration system in the United States.
“She was very strong, very strong,” said her mother, Maria Estella Cano. Now every day she cries and says she can’t take it anymore. ”
US President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to make deportations since his return to the White House in January, after having successfully campaigned by promising to take radical measures against illegal immigration.
If Trump’s team said criminals primarily targeting, they also said that anyone illegally in the country would be expelled.
Paula Callejas was born and grew up in Montreal after his family immigrated from Colombia. She launched her line of swimsuits in Canada around 2012, which gained momentum, but when her father fell ill, she put her dreams in suspense to take care of him.
After the death of his father in 2020, Mme Callejas has resumed his efforts to create a swimsuit company. Her family said that she organized some fashion shows in Florida over the years and that she had found that there was a real boom potential for her clothing line in this state. She was even invited to participate in the Miami Swim Week last year.
She bought a property in Florida, said her mother, and led a modest life while working on the development of the brand.
The family mentioned that Mme Callejas had a temporary visa that expired in March. She had made an extension request in February.
The request had been rejected because it had used a pen of a bad color to sign the document. She got back using a good pen and believed that the problem was solved.
But on March 28, the authorities arrested the Montrealer, accusing her of having injured her former boyfriend with whom she had argued. Mme Callejas claims his innocence and declared defending himself at the time of the facts.
During her detention, she was given to the Ice because she had contravened her visa. She has been held since that time.
The ICE said that it “would remain in detention until the end of its immigration procedure”.
Her mother says that the woman’s mental health is deteriorating. The family has already spent thousands of dollars in lawyer fees.
The family said Mme Callejas had been transferred to at least three different establishments. Their finances are exhausted as they try to obtain a legal representation. They indicated that the simple deposit of documents by a lawyer cost US $ 5,000.
Mme Cano hopes that once this affair resolved, his daughter will leave the United States to complete her immigration request from Canada.
Global Affairs Canada has said that he could not provide information on special cases for confidentiality reasons.
The ministry said on June 27 to know about 55 Canadians held by the ICE. The number of cases has remained relatively stable in recent months, he said, but it fluctuates as business is resolved and new cases appear.
Johnny Noviello, a 49 -year -old Canadian citizen, died in June in the custody of the ICE, while he was waiting for his expulsion in southern Florida.
Foreign Minister Anita Anand wrote on social networks at the time that “Canadian consular authorities are urgently seeking more information from the American authorities”.