A family in Los Angeles has been plunged into crisis after the father was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leaving his partner, who has cerebral palsy, to care for their two young children alone.
A Sudden Arrest and a Family's Collapse
Ademir Ramas, 40, was taken into custody by ICE agents on 10 January while working a landscaping job in the Pico Rivera area of Los Angeles. His abrupt detention removed the sole breadwinner and primary carer for his family. His partner, Erika Gallardo, who has cerebral palsy and cannot work, is now facing severe financial hardship and the immense challenge of managing her household and disability without support.
"It's like a nightmare. It's a nightmare. You think he's gonna walk through the door and he's not," Gallardo told local news station KABC. She described Ramas as the person who did everything for the family, from the laundry to the grocery shopping.
The Human Cost of Enforcement
The couple have two young sons, one of whom told reporters his father was the "greatest dad." Ramas, who immigrated from Guatemala two decades ago on a work visa, was the family's backbone. It remains unclear if his visa had lapsed at the time of his arrest.
With their world turned upside down, the local community has rallied around Gallardo, setting up a GoFundMe fundraiser to provide urgent financial assistance. The fundraiser describes Ramas as a "hardworking, loving husband" and "involved, caring father," and praises Gallardo as an "extraordinary mother" who remains resilient despite her daily challenges.
In a desperate bid to support her family, Gallardo has also started a small business making pens.
Part of a Wider Crackdown
This family's ordeal is not an isolated incident. It comes amid a series of ICE raids across the United States, which began in Los Angeles last summer and have since expanded to other major cities. KABC reported that over the weekend of the arrest, at least a dozen people were arrested in ICE operations around Los Angeles.
Video footage from a raid in nearby Downey showed federal agents detaining two landscapers, with witnesses claiming those men were in the US legally with work permits and green cards. The Department of Homeland Security stated the Downey operation resulted in the arrest of 11 individuals from Mexico and El Salvador for breaking immigration laws.
The case of Ademir Ramas and Erika Gallardo puts a stark human face on the ongoing national debate surrounding immigration enforcement, illustrating the profound and immediate consequences detention policies can have on vulnerable families.
