Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva, a 39-year-old Salvadoran immigrant with a valid work permit, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah.

The incident occurred on October 29, when the woman was intercepted by plainclothes officers at the airport terminal.

Arrest at Salt Lake City Airport

According to Newsweek, ICE agents informed her that she had an outstanding deportation order and escorted her out of the passenger area. The operation was carried out without the involvement of local police, which raised concerns among community leaders about the lack of transparency and coordination.

The arrest was partially recorded by witnesses, and the video circulating on social media shows the woman looking surprised and confused as she was detained.

Her lawyer stated that Marta was completely unaware of the existence of a deportation order and never received the corresponding hearing notice, which could open the door to a review of her case.

ICE's Version and the Deportation Order

According to official ICE statements cited by KJZZ, Renderos Leiva entered the United States illegally in 2007 and has a final deportation order issued in February 2020. The agency maintains that the immigrant was “duly notified” and did not appear at her hearing, which is why the judge ordered her removal from the country in absentia.

However, immigration rights advocates have questioned ICE's actions, asserting that the woman possessed a valid work permit issued in 2024 and valid until 2029. Furthermore, they point out that the current federal administration's policy prioritizes the arrest of individuals with criminal records. criminals, something that does not apply to Marta's case, who has no criminal record.

Marta's Life in the United States

Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva arrived in the U.S. from El Salvador almost two decades ago, in search of better job opportunities and security.She settled in Utah, where she started a family and worked in domestic service, maintaining a consistent employment record and tax contributions, according to sources close to her cited by KSL. She is currently the mother of four children born in the United States, two of whom have medical conditions requiring specialized care. Her relatives maintain that her deportation could cause “extreme harm” to the family and assert that she has always tried to regularize her status. “She wasn’t hiding; she had everything in order with her work permit,” a family friend told Univision. An Uncertain Legal Future: Marta Renderos Leiva’s legal team is preparing a motion to reopen her case, arguing that she was not properly notified of her 2020 hearing. If the court agrees to review the file, her deportation could be temporarily suspended while her request is evaluated.

For now, the immigrant remains in ICE custody at a detention center in Utah, while her community and family members call for her release and respect for her human rights.

Continue reading:

Young Mexican woman self-deports after being arrested by ICE: she had lived in the U.S. since she was 7 years old

Los Angeles teachers demand justice for student detained by ICE since August

Mexican immigrant ends up in the hospital after violent ICE arrest (Video)