Trump-voting husband whose wife was detained doesn't regret his choice

A Wisconsin man said he 'doesn't regret' voting for Donald Trump, even after ICE agents arrested his wife as the newlyweds were returning home from their honeymoon.

Bradley Bartell and his wife, Camila Muñoz, had just returned back from their belated honeymoon in Puerto Rico last month when an immigration agent pulled Muñoz aside and questioned her citizenship status, ultimately detaining her at the airport.

'I knew they were cracking down,' Bartell told Newsweek. 'I guess I didn't know how it was going down.'

Nevertheless, the Trump-voting husband remained steadfast in his admiration for the 78-year-old president, doubling down on his support despite the unexpected ordeal.

'I don't regret the vote,' he said.

Muñoz, a Peruvian citizen, came to the United States on a work-study visa back in 2019, but when the COVID pandemic hit, she was forced to stay in the country, causing her visa to expire.

While international travel remained at a standstill, Muñoz worked in the farming and hospitality industries, meeting Bartell shortly after.

After initially throwing out his number scribbled on a scrap of paper, the pair reconnected on Facebook a few days later and quickly sparked a serious relationship.

The couple eventually married but postponed their honeymoon until travel restrictions were lifted. In the meantime, Muñoz began the process of applying for legal permanent residence as she was now married to an American citizen.

Bartell and Muñoz finally took their belated honeymoon trip in February, traveling to Puerto Rico to celebrate tying the knot.

On the flight home, the pair proudly wore their wedding rings, confident that the US government was aware they had applied for her green card, despite her original visa expiring.

Muñoz had been vetted from the very beginning, working on a W-2 and paying taxes throughout her time in the country.

However, their long awaited trip took an unexpected turn once the coupe landed in the Wisconsin airport.

Bartell could only watch as an immigration agent stopped his wife, asking whether or not she was an American citizen. When she answered truthfully, explaining that she was in the process of obtaining a green card, she was detained.

Fearing her wedding ring may be confiscated, Muñoz shoved the symbol of love into her backpack and handed it to her husband before agents led her away.

Watching his wife disappear, all Bartell could think was: 'What the f*** do I do?' USA Today reported. 

According to immigration attorneys, overstaying a visa is considered an administrative violation, not a criminal one, and can lead to a 10 year ban from the states. 

However, it can also be forgiven through a 'waiver of unlawful presence' if the immigrant is married to a US citizen or has an immediate relative in the country.

'If an individual is overstaying their visa, they are therefore an illegal immigrant residing in this country, and they are subject to deportation, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a January news conference.

Yet Bartell didn't see his hard-working wife who came legally as one of the 'illegals' who Trump vowed to deport, especially since the pair spent months filling out the USCIS paperwork to apply for residency.  

'It's all been a nightmare really, taking things as they come and moving forward,' Bartell told Newsweek. 

'They know who she is and where she came from,' he told USA Today. 'They need to get the vetting done and not keep these people locked up. It doesn't make any sense.' 

Similar to Bartell, millions of Americans voted for Trump, backing his promise to carry out widespread deportations of undocumented immigrants, particularly those with criminal records.

The Trump administration had pledged to target the 'worst first,' but as immigration enforcement efforts become more prominent across the country, there have been dozens of reports of people with no criminal history being held by ICE.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security previously told Newsweek: 'Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are once again a nation of laws. We will find, arrest and deport illegal aliens. We are prioritizing the worst of the worst and aliens with final removal orders.' 

However, Muñoz is now one of those reports, as she has been held in a Louisiana ICE detention center since being arrested at the airport. 

'We have an attorney. The system for getting people through seems to be very inefficient, so it is taking longer than it should,' Bartell said.

Bartell has also criticized ICE, calling for reform. He stated: 'ICE never really has information, it seems. The system needs to be revamped for better processes and communication between departments,' he told Newsweek. 

Either way, the newlywed husband has stood by his vote for Trump, despite facing intense scrutiny from the public.

'I've received a lot of hateful messages, plenty of people saying we deserve this,' he said. 'And a lot of other insults.'

'He didn't create the system, but he does have the opportunity to improve it,' Bartell added, referring to Trump. 'Hopefully, all this attention will bring to light how broken it is.'

The sudden situation has forced Bartell to consider drastic measures if his wife is deported. He mentioned that moving to Peru has crossed his mind, though such a decision would be difficult for his 12-year-old son whom Muñoz has been raising as her own. 

After Bartell's story gained attention in the news earlier this week, he launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for attorney fees and additional money to help secure his wife's release from custody.

The couple had recently saved money with a plan to put a down payment on a home, but that money has since evaporated into paying fees for her release if she is given the chance to return back to Wisconsin. 

The fundraiser has raised nearly $900 of the $3,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon.

'Emotionally, I'm concerned for her,' Bartell told USA Today. 'It can't be easy being trapped in a room with 100 other people. They don't have anything in there. It's just so wasteful.'

It took days for Bartell to find where his wife was after she was detained at the airport, nearly a week before she appeared in the ICE detention system where her name finally turned up in an online locator to Louisiana, USA Today reported.

The pair now keep in touch through 20-cents-per-minute phone calls. Muñoz is set to remain in ICE custody as she awaits an outcome in her case.