Live Oak, FL – Maria Isidro, a 52-year-old Florida mom, thought she was just popping into her usual ICE check-in like she’s done for years. Spoiler alert: She was wrong. Instead of a quick chat and a “See you next year!” she got shackled, denied her diabetes meds, and shipped off to Texas like an Amazon return nobody wanted.
From “Just Checking In” to “Welcome to Detention”
Maria, who’s lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years (longer than some of the agents detaining her have been alive), showed up to her appointment thinking, Maybe they need more paperwork? Nope. They needed a detainee.
Her daughter, Vanessa, said, “We knew this could happen… but we’re humans, we have flesh, we have bones, we have feelings.” And apparently, ICE has shackles.
The Not-So-Magical ICE Bus Tour
After getting hauled to Orlando, then Pompano Beach, Maria called her daughter crying—because nothing says “land of the free” like being chained up like a medieval prisoner.
- Requested: A translator.
- Got: “You should know English by now.” (Spoiler: She speaks Spanish.)
- Requested: Her diabetes medication.
- Got: One random dose of insulin (which she’s never used before).
- Requested: A humane temperature on the ICE bus.
- Got: Either Arctic blasts or Sahara-level heat—no in-between.
Texas: Where the Deportation Odds Are Never in Your Favor
Now Maria’s been shipped off to Texas, where immigration judges apparently have a reputation for being extra tough. (Because nothing says “justice” like moving detainees far from their lawyers and families.)
Her son Jo found out she was being transferred on his 23rd birthday. Worst. Gift. Ever.
The Community Fights Back
Friends and family have launched a “Bring Nana Maria Home!” campaign because, as one friend put it, “Knowing someone who loves people so much is being treated like an animal is hard to fathom.”
Meanwhile, the rest of us are left wondering: If this can happen to a mom who did everything right… who’s next?