ICE Detains LI Mom Of 5 Now Facing Deportation: Attorney

BRENTWOOD, NY — A mother of five living on Long Island is facing deportation after getting detained at a routine immigration check-in, according to her attorney, Ala Amoachi.

Nuvia Martinez Ventura, of Brentwood, arrived for what she thought would be a standard check-in at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City last Wednesday when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained her, Amoachi told Patch. The attorney added that her client was held at the facility for several days before being transported to Houston, where she is facing deportation and has no criminal record.

According to the ICE website, Martinez Ventura is currently in custody at the Houston Contract Detention Facility, one of three detention centers in Houston.

Patch reached out to ICE officials and Rep. Nick LaLota's office about the case; neither immediately returned requests for comment.

Martinez Ventura's children, ages 3, 4, 7, 10 and 11, are currently staying with extended family. Amoachi said that one child is currently hospitalized due to Type 1 diabetes complications, something the attorney alleged hospital staff have been unable to stabilize and that Amoachi said Martinez Ventura managed with precision.

"She was the only one who could manage his diabetes perfectly," Amoachi said. "I told an ICE agent that her child is in the hospital, and he said it's not his concern."

Amoachi is seeking parole for her client so she can care for her children, who have been distraught without her, she said.

Nuvia Martinez Ventura came to the United States from El Salvador seeking asylum to escape violence in her home country after gangs killed the father of her children, Amoachi said.

Community empowerment organization Islip Forward is aware of Martinez Ventura's detainment, and are "deeply concerned."

"Nuvia is a mother, a community member, and a caretaker. Her sudden detention not only disrupts her life, but it inflicts real harm on her children, including one with serious medical needs," IF's Director of Media Christian Colón told Patch. "We stand firmly against the cruel and unnecessary detention of immigrant families, especially those like Nuvia’s who are seeking asylum after fleeing violence. Her compliance with ICE check-ins and lack of a criminal record only highlight the inhumanity of this action. Cases like Nuvia’s destroy public trust, tear families apart, and creates fear in our communities."