An undocumented woman from Maryland whose teenage son died of cancer while she was being held by U.S. immigration authorities has asked to be deported to Mexico, her lawyers said, weeks after a series of transfers that prevented her from reaching her child before his death.
Arlit Martinez-Carrada, who has lived in the United States for more than two decades, made the request after attending her son’s funeral in late January following her release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Her 15-year-old son, Kevin Martinez, a U.S. citizen, died earlier in the month after a prolonged battle with cancer, according to his family and court records.
Martinez-Carrada was arrested by ICE agents on January 3 during a traffic stop on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Department of Homeland Security officials said she had entered the United States illegally on four occasions and had been living in the country without legal status since 2004. She had no criminal record, according to court documents reviewed by her attorneys.
At the time of her detention, Kevin was undergoing treatment for cancer and living with his family in Wicomico County, Maryland. According to her lawyer, his condition deteriorated sharply the day after his mother was taken into custody. His oncologist warned that death was imminent.
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Sarah Takyi-Micah, an immigration attorney representing Martinez-Carrada, said she contacted ICE urgently seeking her client’s release or temporary parole so that she could be with her son. Takyi-Micah said she went to a federal holding facility in downtown Baltimore where Martinez-Carrada had been transferred, hoping to secure permission for her to visit the hospital.
Before she was able to speak with immigration officials, Takyi-Micah said she learned that Kevin had died. She later informed Martinez-Carrada of her son’s death while the mother remained in detention.
“It was traumatic, and unfortunately, I had to be the bearer of bad news at that moment,” Takyi-Micah said, describing the encounter through an interpreter and with the child’s doctor on the phone. She said Martinez-Carrada was separated from her by a glass barrier and could not be physically comforted.
ICE did not immediately respond to questions about why Martinez-Carrada was not released or granted temporary humanitarian parole before her son’s death.
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A DHS official previously told local media that Martinez-Carrada’s immigration history made her subject to enforcement action.
Following Kevin’s death, Takyi-Micah said she sought assurances from ICE officials in Baltimore that her client would not be transferred and would be allowed to remain in the area for funeral arrangements.
According to the lawyer, Martinez-Carrada was nonetheless moved several days later to Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Delaney Hall, which has approximately 1,000 beds, is one of the largest immigration detention centers in the northeastern United States. The facility has drawn criticism from advocacy groups and was the site of protests following the death of a Haitian detainee in December. ICE has said it conducts regular welfare checks and provides medical care to detainees.
Takyi-Micah said she was not immediately informed of Martinez-Carrada’s transfer and had difficulty locating her client. She eventually confirmed that Martinez-Carrada was being held in New Jersey while her husband and three surviving children remained in Maryland.
Rigo Mendoza-Lopez, Martinez-Carrada’s husband, told local media that the family feared she would miss the funeral entirely. “She’s never going to see him no more,” he said, describing their final goodbye to their son.
Working with a New Jersey-based immigration attorney, Carolina Curbelo, Takyi-Micah filed emergency motions and sought support from elected officials. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a Democrat, contacted federal authorities requesting that Martinez-Carrada be released so she could attend her son’s memorial service.
Martinez-Carrada was ultimately released from custody in time to attend the funeral on January 31 in Salisbury, Maryland. Her lawyers said the process required coordinated legal action and sustained pressure from community members and public officials.
Van Hollen said the outcome was achieved despite, not because of, ICE’s actions. He criticized immigration enforcement practices under former President Donald Trump, arguing that the case did not align with stated priorities of targeting individuals with serious criminal records. ICE has said its enforcement decisions are based on immigration law and operational considerations.
Following the funeral, Martinez-Carrada informed her lawyers that she no longer wished to pursue relief that would allow her to remain in the United States. Instead, she asked to return voluntarily to Mexico, where she was born.
Takyi-Micah said the decision reflected her client’s desire to grieve away from immigration proceedings and begin again after the loss of her son. “If she feels that this journey would be better for her to go back to her home country so she can heal and start a new life, start fresh from this, I guess that is ultimately her decision,” she said.
It was not immediately clear when Martinez-Carrada’s deportation would take place or whether ICE would process it as a voluntary departure or formal removal. DHS has not disclosed a timeline, and her attorneys said they were awaiting confirmation of next steps from immigration authorities.