A US Army Reserve pilot from Texas is locked in a desperate battle to secure the release of his Venezuelan wife, who has been held in immigration detention for the past month and a half following what was supposed to be a routine meeting.
A Marriage Certificate, Then Detention
Chris Busby, a 28-year-old Black Hawk pilot, and his wife, Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez, 25, obtained their marriage certificate at an Austin courthouse on 3 December. Just two days later, Velasquez attended a scheduled check-in at a Houston Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office related to her asylum status, a procedure she had completed annually since arriving in the US in 2021.
Although these appointments typically occurred once a year, Velasquez had been summoned for a second time in just four months. Her husband told the Daily Mail that a previous check-in in September passed without incident in 30 minutes. However, she did not emerge from the meeting on 5 December. She was held until 2am before being transferred to an ICE detention centre, where she has now been for 44 days.
"I Feel Betrayed": An Army Pilot's Anguish
Busby, who joined the Army at 17 and has served for 11 years, said he initially felt less nervous than his wife due to her prior uneventful check-ins. However, he acknowledged they were aware of the risk of detention amid ICE's aggressive enforcement tactics. Now, he feels a profound sense of betrayal by the system he serves.
"I really can't feel betrayed by ICE. I've never worked for them, but I have worked for the military," he said. "I know we have things in place to help us, and I feel like there's some people in the military who are choosing not to press that button to help." He criticised the Trump administration and its supporters as "really biased" and lacking "compassion for brown people who come to this country."
In a bid for public support, Busby posted emotional videos on Facebook detailing their ordeal. He described his wife as "the nicest person ever" who "has never done anything illegal." He emphasised that she was in the US on a legal status, with no criminal history, and was actively pursuing citizenship since 2021.
Legal Battles and Harsh Detention Conditions
Busby hired a lawyer who scheduled a bond hearing, but a judge ruled they lacked jurisdiction. In a subsequent habeas corpus hearing, Busby claims the prosecuting attorney admitted to not reviewing Velasquez's file and labelled her a flight risk solely because she had been married for less than a month. An appeal is underway.
Busby also filed for the military's Parole in Place programme, which offers protections to non-citizen spouses of service members. Meanwhile, he paints a grim picture of the detention centre conditions. He says his wife struggles to sleep due to freezing temperatures, receives "barely edible" food at odd hours (breakfast at 4am, lunch at 10am), and has limited access to commissary supplies.
"Even though everyone is getting sick, no one in there cares," Busby stated. He added that staff treat visitors, including himself, with "straight disrespect." Velasquez had been studying for her real estate licence exam, scheduled for the Monday after her detention, a dream now on hold.
Velasquez is one of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who have fled to the US in recent years. Many were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 2023 under President Biden, but the Supreme Court effectively revoked this in October. In a 6-3 decision along party lines, the court granted an emergency request by the Trump administration to block a ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem failed to follow proper procedure in revoking TPS for Venezuelans.
According to the most recent ICE data, only 29% of current detainees have prior criminal convictions. An additional 28% have pending charges, meaning 43% have no criminal history. The number of non-criminal detainees has surged by 2,500% over the past year. As of 7 January 2026, 24,644 people without a criminal record are in ICE custody—Velasquez among them.
In a heartfelt Facebook caption, Busby wrote: "Honestly, I’ve cried everyday since she’s been in there... This whole process has been devastating." He concluded, "She did absolutely nothing wrong, besides wanting to live in a country where she thought there was freedom for all." The Daily Mail has contacted ICE for comment.
