A Baltimore-area mother who was locked up in federal immigration custody while her teenage son battled cancer says she is preparing to return to Mexico after he died without her at his bedside. Arlit Martinez-Carrada was arrested by ICE on Jan. 3 while driving to work in Salisbury, according to her attorneys, and her 15-year-old son, Kevin Mendoza Martinez, died just days later. After a judge ordered her released on a $12,000 bond, she was able to attend his late-January funeral, but Martinez-Carrada and her lawyers say the ordeal has pushed her to seek voluntary departure.
Attorneys Describe The Final Hours
Sarah Takyi-Micah, the family's immigration attorney, says she was the one who had to break the news to Martinez-Carrada that Kevin had died, speaking to her client in detention through a sheet of plexiglass. She called the moment deeply traumatic. Takyi-Micah and other lawyers told WBAL-TV they repeatedly pressed ICE for a humanitarian release so Martinez-Carrada could be with her son, and that the agency did not free her in time.
Arrest, Transfer And Release
Local reports say ICE agents pulled Martinez-Carrada over on Jan. 3 on Mt. Hermon Road in Wicomico County while she was headed to work. Her attorneys say she was first held in a Baltimore holding room, then transferred to an ICE facility in Newark, before a federal judge later set bond at $12,000. Relatives posted the bond, and she returned to Salisbury under supervision with an ankle monitor. WBOC reported those court records and the timeline.
She Opted To Leave
According to her legal team, Martinez-Carrada decided to pursue voluntary departure after being jailed while her son was dying, even though she has four U.S.-citizen children and long-standing ties to Maryland. WBAL-TV also reported that the Department of Homeland Security told reporters it believes she re-entered the United States multiple times. Her attorneys say DHS has not yet filed the charging document known as a Notice to Appear while they work to process her request to leave the country.
What The CBP Home App Pays — And Why Attorneys Worry
The Department of Homeland Security has been promoting voluntary departures through its CBP Home app, a tool for people who want to return to their home countries. CBS News reported that DHS recently raised the program's departure stipend to $2,600 and arranges a free flight for eligible participants. Officials describe the app and related program as a cost-saving alternative to enforced removals, but researchers and advocates say the government's numbers and the long-term impact of these departures are disputed.
Legal Implications
Immigration experts warn that choosing voluntary departure, including through the CBP Home app, can create paper trails that complicate any future bid for legal status and may come with re-entry bars or other penalties, The Guardian reported. Because Martinez-Carrada is still under supervision, with immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins on the calendar, her lawyers say any departure will have to be tightly coordinated with both the courts and DHS to avoid triggering more penalties. WBOC noted her next hearing has already been scheduled and that she remains monitored.
Support For The Family
Community advocates and elected officials rallied to get Martinez-Carrada home in time for Kevin's funeral, and the office of Sen. Chris Van Hollen publicly urged authorities to let her attend, according to CBS Baltimore. A GoFundMe campaign for the family has raised more than $80,000 to help cover funeral and legal expenses, the outlet reported, and attorneys say they are still exploring legal options ahead of her next appearance in immigration court.
