Very painful,’ former Miss Hawaii fights to stop her husband from being deported

Hawaii News Now ^ | November 4, 2025 | HNN staff

[Whatever Works]

With a cane in hand guiding her every step, former Miss Hawaii Cheryl Bartlett slowly walks along the garden of palms and hinahina she and her husband, Rogerio Araujo, grew together outside of their Makiki apartment.

“This is Roger’s pride and joy,” Bartlett said while pointing to the line of potted plants, which has given her some comfort after Araujo was taken by ICE agents last Tuesday.

“That morning is the last morning I saw him,” a whimpering Bartlett added. “Someone is trying to rip the bond, it’s very painful, and that someone is my own country.”

A native of Brazil, 57-year-old Araujo has been living on Oahu for several decades.

[Machavelli]

Find the POS judge and deport “it” too.

[econjack]

I am so tired of these supposed sob stories. If you’re here illegally, I have zero sympathy. You should have cared enough to take the time to become a citizen. You didn’t want to invest the time to be a citizen, so I’m not interested in your story.

[marktwain]

Married to an American for 17 years. Most of those 17 years contesting a deportation order, at least 13 years.

[Chewbarkah]

I feel sorry for this lady because she is almost blind. Since they are both “natives of Brazil”, why can’t they both live there?

Was there any mention of what Rogerio Araojo has been doing for a living? Or if he has any sort of crimnal history? I don’t get wasting time on someone like this when there seem to be hordes of criminals to go after first.

[Dr. Sivana]

And ex Miss Hawaii was carrying a Kingdom of Hawaii sign. So, she resents being a citizen herself and does anybody believe he couldn't get citizenship married to a citizen after DECADES living here?

He doesn't even need to become a citizen. A Green Card will do, as it does for my Canadian wife.

[Dr. Sivana]

Bartlett said they have been trying to secure citizenship for Araujo for about 17 years, but clerical errors delayed them.

The clerical errors are very real. We had my wife's application returned, claiming that we did not include her marriage certificate. The certificate was IN THE ENVELOPE THEY RETURNED TO US!

When we refiled, the prototypical bitter government worker at the window claimed the rules changed and we had to start all over again. I asked for a supervisor, and she took our side and told the woman (who looked like she enjoyed sending people back to "Start") that since we were already in process that didn't apply to us.

When we planned our move from Connecticut to Illinois, we gave INS five four months notice of our move with a new mailing address. After we moved the notice for a hearing had been mailed to our old address in Connecticut, and by the time we got the notice, it was one day before the hearing IN CONNECTICUT!

The excellent Congressman Manzullo got our case relocated to Chicago. It went better from there. The folks in Chicago seemed to like that we were polite people with excellent English skills. Still, it took almost five years from start just to get a permanent Green Card.

Seventeen years sounds like a bit much.

[TheThirdRuffian]

That’s a rough-looking 57.

[GingisK]

Couldn’t she go with him? Yes, she could.

[T.B. Yoits]

Was there any mention of what Rogerio Araojo has been doing for a living? Or if he has any sort of criminal history? I don’t get wasting time on someone like this when there seem to be hordes of criminals to go after first.

Yeah. Did "Miss Hawaii" become "Mrs. Aider and Abettor" twice over - one for illegally being in the country and two for whatever he's done that put him near the top of the list for ICE to go after.

[ridesthemiles]

AGREED

[Seruzawa]

I know several people who are/were foreigners living in the USA. Each one was entirely on top of their immigration status and followed the rules to a tee. Several are US Citizens now. It’s not hard. How stupid do you have to be to ignore your own immigration situation? Like a bag of hammers.

[hanamizu]

How about just getting a Green Card? He can live here legally pretty much as long as he wants. I’d think that would be far easier to achieve, especially married to a U.S. citizen.

[stars & stripes forever]

Must have been the same clerk who lost Obama’s birth certificate.

[gnarledmaw]

Just kind of a smirk at first that slow burned into a chuckle.

[redfreedom]

I have zero sympathy. She married an illegal. If this guy is the love of her life, maybe she should go to Brazil with him.

And if this clown was in love with his wife, he should have gone through the citizenship process.

These boo hoo stories tick me off. My grand parents came here, learned English, got their citizenship, Americanized the pronunciation of their last names and embraced the culture.

[No name given]

Correct.

[No name given]

I’m with you on this one.

[No name given]

Good question!

[spokeshave]

How about just getting a Green Card? He can live here legally pretty much as long as he wants.

Yes...can do everything a US Citizen can do....except to vote.

[Iron Munro]

She is free to join her law-breaking husband and leave the country that she seems to despize so much.

America is a country so bad that somewhere around 50 to 60 million ilegals broke the law to come here.

And it is so bad that people who hate it won’t leave on their own.