The story of Yessenia Ruano, a Salvadoran mother who decided to self-deport with her twin daughters, US citizens, and her husband, has once again sparked debate in the United States.

After months of immigration uncertainty and fear of being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the woman left the country of her own free will in June 2025, resuming her story through a recent interview with Univision.

A life built in Milwaukee and a dream cut short

According to Ruano, she arrived in the United States in 2011, fleeing violence in El Salvador. For more than a decade, she lived in Milwaukee, where she worked as a teacher's assistant, bought a home, and started a family.

Her daughters were born in the United States, which automatically granted them American citizenship. However, that stability was shattered when her application for a T visa, intended for victims of human trafficking, was rejected.

According to Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), the ICE denial letter indicated that Yessenia “did not deserve a favorable exercise of discretion.” With no criminal record and a recognized community service, the news surprised her neighbors and coworkers.

Fear, uncertainty, and a voluntary departure

Faced with the risk of being detained by ICE, Yessenia opted for voluntary departure, a legal mechanism that allowed her to return to El Salvador without being subject to a formal deportation order.

According to Univision, the family left the Milwaukee airport in June of this year, on a flight to San Salvador. “It was a very hard decision, but I didn't want my daughters to see me arrested,” she confessed in an interview with Univision. Weeks later, her husband and the family pet completed the sad journey.

Now settled in a rural area near the Salvadoran capital, Ruano has tried to rebuild her life with the support of her mother. However, the process has been difficult for her daughters, who are unable to adapt to their new environment. “They tell me: 'Mom,I want to go home to Milwaukee.' "It breaks my heart," she said through tears.

Reactions in the United States and a debate that persists

Yessenia Ruano's case has sparked solidarity in Milwaukee, where community organizations and coworkers have denounced what they consider an act of administrative injustice. In statements collected by WPR and the Wisconsin Examiner, several local leaders affirmed that her departure was a consequence of a system "that criminalizes hope."

Although the US government has reiterated that each immigration case is evaluated individually, activists and human rights defenders assure that voluntary deportations like Yessenia's have become increasingly common among mixed families, made up of undocumented parents and citizen children.

A new beginning amid nostalgia

From El Salvador, Yessenia tries to maintain contact with her former educational community and continues to support campaigns in defense of migrant rights. Despite the economic difficulties and nostalgia, she affirms that she has no regrets. to protect her daughters. “I want them to grow up without fear, even if that means starting from scratch,” she said on Univision.