Louisiana GOP Senator's Office Seeks Release of Marine Veteran's Wife

A Marine Corps Veteran’s Wife Released from ICE Detention

A marine corps veteran’s wife has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention following advocacy by a Louisiana Republican senator who supports President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies. Paola Clouatre, a Mexican national, had been one of tens of thousands of people in ICE custody as the Trump administration continued to push for the arrest of 3,000 individuals daily suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

Emails reviewed by The Associated Press reveal that Senator John Kennedy’s office requested the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release her after a judge halted her deportation order earlier in the week. By Monday, she was out of a remote ICE detention center in northern Louisiana and back home in Baton Rouge with her husband, Adrian Clouatre, and their two young children.

Kennedy’s constituent services representative, Christy Tate, expressed joy over the release and thanked Adrian for his military service. “I am so happy for you and your family,” Tate wrote in an email. “God is truly great!”

According to Carey Holliday, the family's attorney, Kennedy’s office played a key role in engaging with DHS. However, the senator’s office did not provide further comment on the matter.

Another Louisiana Republican, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, also recently intervened with DHS to secure the release of an Iranian mother from ICE detention after public outcry. The woman had lived in New Orleans for decades.

Despite his support for Trump's immigration policies, Kennedy has occasionally criticized the administration. For example, in April, he criticized the Trump administration for mistakenly deporting a Maryland man. On July 17, he posted on Facebook, “Illegal immigration is illegal — duh,” amid recent media appearances criticizing efforts to prevent ICE officers from making arrests.

Emails Show the Path to Release

An email chain shared by Adrian Clouatre shows that the family’s attorney reached out to Kennedy’s office in early June after Paola Clouatre was detained in late May. Tate received Paola’s court documents by early July and contacted ICE, according to the email exchange.

On July 23, an immigration judge halted Paola’s deportation order. After Adrian informed Kennedy’s office, Tate said she sent the request to release Paola to DHS and shared a copy of the judge’s motion with the agency, emails show. In a subsequent email, Tate mentioned that ICE stated it continues to make custody decisions on a case-by-case basis based on each individual’s circumstances and had received the judge’s decision from Kennedy’s office for consideration.

The next working day, Paola was released from custody. Tate added, “We will continue to keep you, your family and others that are experiencing the same issues in our prayers. If you need our assistance in the future, please contact us.”

Reunited with Her Family

Paola had been detained by ICE officers on May 27 during an appointment related to her green card application. She entered the country as a minor with her mother from Mexico more than a decade ago and was legally processed while seeking asylum, according to her, her husband, and her attorney. However, her mother failed to appear for a court date, leading a judge to issue a deportation order against Paola in 2018. At that time, she had become estranged from her mother and was homeless.

Adrian Clouatre expressed hope that the agency would consider the circumstances before detaining people like his wife. “It shouldn’t just be like a blanket ‘Oh, they’re illegal, throw them in ICE detention.’”

Reunited with her breastfeeding infant daughter and able to snuggle with her toddler son, Paola told the AP she feels like a mother again. “I was feeling bad,” she said of her detention. “I was feeling like I failed my kids.”

Looking Ahead

While it may take several years for Paola’s immigration court proceedings to close, her attorney believes the situation looks promising, and she should eventually obtain her green card. For now, she is wearing an ankle monitor but is still able to resume her life, according to her husband.

The day of her arrest in New Orleans, the couple had planned to sample some of the city’s famous French pastries known as beignets. Her husband says they will finally get to enjoy that day: “We're going to make that day up.”