71-Year-Old Grandmother Stays in Jail While Restaurant Bosses Go Free

Maria Cristina Tapia Cornejo is a 71-year-old great-grandmother who worked washing dishes at a restaurant in Arizona. She has been locked up in a jail for immigration issues for more than 10 months. Meanwhile, the restaurant owners who hired her without proper papers have been allowed to go free and even travel out of state. This situation shows how differently the law treats workers and business owners.

In July 2025, government agents raided four Colt Grill restaurants in northern Arizona. They were looking for people who were living in the United States without permission. The agents also arrested the restaurant owners, Robert and Brenda Clouston. The couple was accused of hiring workers who did not have legal permission to work in America.

Maria has deep connections to the United States. She has lived in Cottonwood for more than 25 years. Her daughter Carina says Maria has four adult children, 18 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild who all live in Arizona. Maria doesn't want to return to Mexico because all her family is in Arizona.

Every Sunday, Maria's family drives six hours round trip to visit her at the detention center. They can only visit for one hour each time. Carina says her mother has lost weight and now weighs about 113 pounds. When it's time to say goodbye, both Maria and the children cry.

Immigration officials say they provide medical care to all detainees. However, advocacy groups say more sick and vulnerable people are being held in detention than before. Maria remains at the detention center, counting each family visit as what keeps her going. Her case shows the human cost of immigration enforcement policies.