South Florida Woman With Cancer Fights to Free Her Husband From Immigration Detention
Courtney Walter, who has breast cancer, says her Venezuelan husband was detained by ICE while the couple was working toward his green card.
A South Florida woman who has breast cancer is asking the government to release her husband, who was arrested by immigration agents. Courtney Walter says her husband, Jorge Luis Eliecer Ruiz, was stopped by ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — on August 3 near Coconut Creek, Florida. Ruiz, who is 36 and from Venezuela, called his wife from a nearby parking lot to tell her he was being detained. Walter said the arrest has made her health problems even worse and that the stress has caused her to lose weight.
Ruiz is now being held at the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Florida. Before that, he spent nine days at an immigration processing center in Miramar. Walter said she feels scared and alone as she goes through cancer treatment without her husband.
Walter and Ruiz got married in 2025 and had already started working on getting Ruiz a green card. In September 2025, they filed a form called an I-130 petition, which is the first step toward getting someone permanent residency. That paperwork is still being reviewed and has not been decided yet.
ICE said Ruiz admitted he was in the country illegally when agents stopped him. According to ICE, Ruiz first came to the United States in April 2007, and an immigration judge issued a removal order against him in November 2012. ICE says he will stay in custody while his case is handled.
Ruiz's lawyer, David Estrella, said ICE's statement left out that his client is married to a U.S. citizen. Estrella argued that Ruiz has a legal protection called a withholding of removal, which means he cannot be sent back to Venezuela due to dangers he could face there. Filing an I-130 petition alone does not stop deportation, but this protection adds another layer to his case.
To fight for Ruiz's release, Estrella filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court. This legal request asks a judge to decide if someone is being held fairly and whether they should be released. The federal government was expected to respond to the petition as early as August 17.
Walter hopes the court will act quickly so her family can move forward. She is dealing with cancer and says she needs her husband home. "I want my husband to be home, so we can continue doing the process that we started a year ago to get him his permanent residency here," she said.
"I want my husband to be home, so we can continue doing the process that we started a year ago to get him his permanent residency here."
Comprehension quiz preview
1. Where was Jorge Ruiz stopped by ICE agents?
2. What form did Courtney Walter and her husband file to begin the green card process?
3. Where is Jorge Ruiz being held at the time of the article?