A Venezuelan doctor detained at a Texas airport missed a long-awaited asylum interview in California on Thursday, as her husband attended alone. Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, 33, was arrested by Border Patrol agents at McAllen International Airport on Saturday while preparing to board a flight with her five-year-old daughter to join her husband for the interview.
Bolivar, who worked in an emergency room in McAllen, Texas, had been waiting over ten years for the appointment. Her husband, Milenko Faria, attended the interview at US Citizenship and Immigration Services offices near Los Angeles without her. Bolivar remains in immigration custody in Texas, entering her sixth day of detention.
The arrest is part of President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, according to reports. Bolivar is the second Venezuelan physician detained in South Texas within a week. Dr. Ezequiel Veliz was arrested at a checkpoint on April 6 but released by an immigration judge on Wednesday.
Bolivar entered the US on a tourist visa in 2016 and was later included in her husband's asylum application. The couple also seeks a green card through a skilled worker application filed by Faria's employer. They previously benefited from Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela, which Trump terminated for several countries, a decision challenged in court.
The Department of Homeland Security stated Bolivar was arrested for being in the country illegally, having overstayed her visa since 2017. Her husband said she showed a Real ID driver's license and work authorization valid until 2030, but was detained after revealing her nationality and being asked for proof of permanent residency. Their daughter, a US citizen, was released to her grandfather after 19 hours.
