‘They just took me:’ Newlywed lesbian woman detained by ICE during asylum appointment

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A Peruvian asylum seeker says she was unexpectedly detained during a routine immigration appointment, leaving her caught in a legal dispute between two U.S. judges.

“I’ve been following all the steps, all the rules… They just took me,” said Xiomara Suarez, who has been held at the Adelanto Detention Center since September.

Suarez, 28, arrived in the U.S. seeking asylum in December 2022. She spoke with Eyewitness News Thursday about her situation.

“I’ve been trying to do everything as clearly as we can, but they just don’t care. I’m here two and a half months already,” she said.

She says she fled Peru because of persecution related to her sexuality.

“I was stalked and targeted because I am lesbian. I thought this country would at least offer me some protection,” Suarez said.

Suarez had applied for a marital green card. Her wife, Grazi Chiosque, explained that Suarez was detained during a scheduled asylum appointment.

“We just want to start building our life,” Chiosque said. “We were following all the steps, and it’s very, very hard.”

The couple says Suarez is now trapped between the judge overseeing her asylum case and the judge handling her green card case, with each claiming the other has jurisdiction.

“Nobody wants to take responsibility, and they want to keep her detained, unable to move forward with the green card process,” Chiosque said.

A GoFundMe has been launched to help the newlyweds cover legal expenses. Since getting married in February, all they want is to move forward together.

“I really hope I can get released soon, go back home, see my wife, and start our life together,” Suarez said.

Her next hearing is scheduled for January.