Brazilian detained by ICE during visa interview arrives in Brazil after deportation

Matheus Silveira Social media The Brazilian who was detained by agents from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an interview to obtain a permanent visa arrived in Brazil in the early hours of this Thursday (12) after having completed voluntary deportation. He was detained more than 2 months ago. Matheus Silveira, 30 years old, arrived in Belo Horizonte and was received by the government’s “Aqui é Brasil” program, information confirmed by his mother. The boy will rest before coming to Rio de Janeiro, where he will live again. During his detention, there were several moments when the family was unable to contact him. In one of them, his wife was unable to contact him for days while he was transferred between detention centers without his family receiving official information. His wife, Hannah Silveira, to whom he has been married since 2024, claims that in the detentions where he spent the conditions were unsanitary and the food was precarious. The family also points out other errors: as he signed a voluntary deportation, he had the right to be sent to Brazil on a commercial flight, which was not done. US law says that foreigners who marry a US citizen, regardless of gender or orientation, have the right to apply for a Green Card and become a permanent resident of the United States. Family reports not being able to contact a Brazilian detained by ICE 📱Download the g1 app to see news from Rio in real time and for free ‘Heartbroken’ Hannah says she is heartbroken at having to choose between her husband and the country she was born in and served in the Army. Despite the pain, the decision to come to Brazil, where her husband will return, was made because she no longer feels safe on American soil. Hannah Silveira is American and has been married to Matheus since 2024. The couple has been together since 2022. They met after she moved to California to study law after leaving the Army, where she worked for two years as a paramedic. With her husband in prison for two months and the self-deportation agreement signed by Matheus, Hannah will move to Brazil, where she will have to restart her professional life as her law degree is not certified in the country. “It’s heartbreaking to know that I gave so much for my country and they have no problem taking my husband away from me and forcing me to choose between my country and my husband”, she said in an interview with Bom Dia Rio. Hannah and Matheus Silveira Social media Matheus cannot return to the United States within 10 years. During his time in prison, Hannah, who visited him, says that he lost weight and that the food “is not enough for an adult man, as if they served student snacks.” She also reported that he was imprisoned in a cell that holds 16 beds, but that, due to overcrowding, he ended up sleeping on the floor for days. The mother speaks of apprehension while her son did not arrive. “Two months of him in this situation is a long time, it’s a long time for me, it’s a long time for him, it’s a long time for all of us. So, we’re just thinking now about his arrival here, urgently, as quickly as possible”, says Luciana. Luciana says that Matheus dreams of being an airline pilot, a course he started in Brazil and intended to continue in the United States after he perfected his English. His student visa expired in 2023 and he applied for his green card in 2024, shortly after his marriage to Hannah. Understand how it happened Brazilian has been stuck in the US for two months after being detained during a visa interview Matheus was arrested on November 24, 2025, during an interview to obtain a green card (permanent residence) at a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in San Diego, California — the final stage of his migration process. The couple was together at the interview at a United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) office in San Diego on November 24, as she reported to the American portal Newsweek. She stated in an interview that it was the last step before the approval of legal permanent residence and that the application had been approved, but that at some point during the interview the agent who was conducting it said that “people in the hallway” were waiting for them. At that point, Hannah claims that four ICE agents burst into the office and arrested him, claiming they had a warrant for his arrest related to his remaining in the country after his visa expired. The withdrawal agreement prevents Matheus Silveira from returning to the United States for 10 years. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed to Newsweek that Matheus Silveira would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. In the note, sent to the Newsweek portal, McLaughlin said that Matheus was arrested on November 24 as a “criminal illegal alien from Brazil who remained in the country after the expiration of his F-1 student visa.” In contact with g1, the family criticized the use of the term “criminal” and said that he has no criminal record. Matheus’ wife reported that his visa expired during the coronavirus pandemic. g1 has been trying to contact ICE since January 23, but has not heard back.

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