Margarita Ávila, a Belizean mother of nine, was deported from the United States this week after being detained by immigration authorities. According to her daughter, Ávila was taken into custody in May.
She was transported by van for over 10 hours to Florida, from where she was deported to Belize on Monday morning. She arrived in Belize City around 10 a.m. and was processed by immigration officials before being released around 12:45 p.m. to reunite with her parents and sister. Relatives in Belize hadn’t seen her in over a decade.
While her family is relieved she is no longer in detention, her daughter says Ávila remains heartbroken about being separated from her younger children, ages 11 and 13, who were born and raised in the U.S.
The children are expected to relocate to Belize soon to join their mother, while their father remains in the U.S. to manage the family’s affairs.
“She’s sad, but also relieved she’s not in detention anymore,” her daughter shared. “We’re hopeful she can return legally.”
The family is pursuing two legal avenues for Ávila’s return: an I-130 petition filed by her U.S. citizen child and a possible U visa for victims of crimes. They allege Ávila was wrongfully targeted due to a false police report, prompting the initial detention.
“I’m going to keep fighting to bring my mom back,” her daughter said. “And I’ll keep fighting for all the injustices our community faces. We need to stop being afraid and speak up together, we’re stronger than we think.”