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Posted on 02/13/2026 3:10:45 AM PST by TheDon
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A United States Marine war veteran is pleading for assistance after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested his wife during an interview for a permanent resident card.
Diana Butnarciuc left the Eastern European country of Moldova for a better life in 2008, according to her husband. She has two children, works, and pays her taxes. However, she currently sits in the Henderson Detention Center due to a deportation order filed in 2018.
“I served the country, and you know, I would think that the country would serve us in this instance,” Patrick Baja said of his wife. “She’s never been in jail or anything like that, so again this is a brand new thing for her.”
Baja and Butnarciuc’s friends are desperate to try to get her out of ICE detention. Baja said in 2020 he filed an application known as an ‘I-130 petition for an alien relative.’ It serves as a precursor to obtaining a green card.
“I totally understand policies and rules and all that, and again that’s why we followed everything to a ‘T’ when it came to the process,” Baja said. “As a Marine veteran, I would just like the help.”
Baja, his wife, and their attorney were in a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interview in Las Vegas on Wednesday that they waited five years for, when the tone quickly changed.
“Five minutes into the interview, ICE came into the room and arrested her,” Baja said. “Confusion, very emotional. We knew it was a possibility.”
Despite Butnarciuc arriving in the United States in 2008, claiming political asylum, an immigration judge declined her asylum claim in 2018 and filed a removal order, according to her family. However, she then married Baja, which changed her immigration status.
Immigration attorney Darren Heyman said his client has no criminal record and doesn’t understand why ICE arrested her.
“She would otherwise be entitled to a green card in this country. She entered legally. She has zero criminal record. We just want her to be given the same process that’s been given to lots of people before,” Heyman said.
Heyman said the Trump Administration has upended immigration norms, including in Clark County.
“Unfortunately, what was typical is no longer typical,” Heyman said.
Heyman said he is hoping to bond her out of the Henderson Detention Center, so they can finish the process of obtaining a green card. Once she has a green card, Heyman will then petition a judge to void the deportation order.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has yet to respond to an email from 8 News Now regarding Diana Butnarciuc’s case.
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What say you? Make an exception in this case, or deport her? It's been 8 years since her removal order.
“never been to jail” is an odd way to put that.
"“I totally understand policies and rules and all that, and again that’s why we followed everything to a ‘T’ when it came to the process,”
These two things are at odds.
There are literally millions of criminals, terrorists and crazy people who came in under Biden.
The Trump team needs to focus like a laser beam on Biden era criminals class and undesirables that the Democrats imported during the Biden Administration. Nobody likes these creeps, not even our garden variety legacy illegal aliens.
Targeting women like is both counterproductive and a waste of assets.
I’m retired Army. If I don’t follow the law and civil procedures, I face the consequences. I’m not against cases like this getting some fines or being put on some type of probation since it’s a Service Member’s spouse.
But, he can’t act like he’s owed any special favors that aren’t already lined out in law and policy.
Well, yes, but details are missing. I am assuming she had an active appeal after the deportation order and got married while the appeal was still pending. Once married and they filed the I-130 the appeal was probably put on hold.
I don’t *know* that, but it’s likely. If me guess is correct then there is no tension between the statements. But that’s onlya guess.
what about the deportation order that was issued in 2018 for this woman ??
How does someone get a deportation order if they are perfect citizens who go to work and pay their taxes.
Yes, we should concentrate on the hardcore criminals, but you can’t excuse those who did something to get a deportation order filed against them and stayed in the country anyway.
IMO, if you really looked into this detention, you would find a lot about why this person was detained.
If she was detained improperly, think about this, ICE has detained and deported close to 700,000 in about one year, the law of averages says a few people detained are going to be mistakes, it would be crazy to criticize the entire operation over a handful of mistakes.
She arrived legally. It appears the marriage is valid and not done for immigration purposes. If so, she should be released.
That sounds a little suspect.
My guess is she has been arrested, perhaps several times.
I say exit country and come in properly.
A marine should know he’s got to dot his i’s and cross his t’s; then there are no bad scenes like he and wife now have.
Whose Socialist Security Number does she use to pay her taxes? 🤔
The kind of case Democrats drool over . They want you think all the cases are a cruel injustice like this one seems. Usually marriage is a good ticket to citizenship. With two kids the Government would have a hard time showing this was just a staged for citizenship ploy . The removal order was before the marriage so it’s just the mindless beauracrtic machine grinding away as usual.
FAFO, buddy!
What? You think you’re special because you signed up to kill people and destroy things for the US Govt?
Illegal = Illegal. Maybe we should send him with her.
There are holes in the timeline.
Arrives in the country in 2008, then deportation order in 2018. Assuming they were married prior to 2018, why wait until 2020 to file paperwork? Why wasn’t paperwork filed right after marriage? Does not sound like following rules to a “T”
When were kids born, before or after 2018? If after, sounds like anchor baby status. It’s not uncommon for a foreign national to marry a US citizen for bennies. Timing is everything and this timeline stinks.
Also smells like a liberal sob story so it’s no wonder something stinks.
“Immigration attorney Darren Heyman said his client has no criminal record and doesn’t understand why ICE arrested her.”
He’s an IMMIGRATION attorney, and he doesn’t UNDERSTAND?
She’s effing ILLEGAL!
No. She’s had illegal status since 2018.
And, as her husband stated, she works and pays taxes. Arrest her employer, too.
You can get arrested many times and not go to jail.
What is he considering jail?
The drunk tank or federal prison.
As she is currently IN JAIL that statement is demonstrably false.
CC
You had over a decade to get your wife legal.
You didn’t.
Join her in Moldova while you consider not breaking the law in the future.
Bye!
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