Woman says ICE arrested her at her San Diego green card interview, just as her lawyer warned it could: ‘I have no criminal history’

A woman reportedly went to the USCIS office in San Diego for a marriage-based green card interview. She says her attorney had warned her that the appointment could end in detention, according to her account.

In a TikTok video, Mila says that warning became reality when ICE agents arrested her after the interview. She says she was later taken to the Otay Mesa Detention Center. “I have no criminal history,” she says, adding that she had never faced removal or deportation proceedings.

Mila says she came to the U.S. legally, applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as a teenager, and later married a U.S. citizen. According to her account, the stated reason for her arrest was a visa overstay. DACA temporarily protects eligible recipients from deportation and allows them to apply for work authorization, but it does not grant lawful immigration status or provide a direct path to a green card.

Mila’s advice for other immigrants

She says she made the video to “help at least one person.” Her main advice is to hire an attorney early. “I think having an attorney going into this makes everything so much smoother,” she says. She says her lawyer came to the interview but could not stop the arrest. She also urges people to memorize their A-number. She says it is “the only way that people are going to be able to contact you while you’re in the detention center.”

In a second video, Mila recounts the arrest. She says the officer told the couple their evidence was great and that she was approving the I-130 petition. Then, she says, the officer added, “I’m so sorry, this is not my decision, but there are some people outside waiting to speak with you.” She says three ICE agents then came in and her attorney asked to see a warrant. The clip does not show whether one was produced.

She also recalls a bulletin board in an ICE area. She says her name was first on a printed list and highlighted, and that she does not know what that meant. Later, she says, officers talked about the people in the van as “bodies.” “The whole time they referred to us as bodies,” she says. Mila says officers expected 23 people that day, but 16 were ultimately transported in the van.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not publicly addressed Mila’s case. Her account could not be independently verified.

Mila’s account comes amid reports of similar arrests at marriage-based green card interviews in San Diego. NBC San Diego reported that attorneys had observed the arrests beginning in November 2025. The cases involved people nearing the final stages of their immigration process, including spouses of U.S. citizens who said they had no criminal records. Attorneys told the outlet they had rarely, if ever, seen such arrests happen during these interviews before. Outside San Diego, a military veteran’s wife was detained at a routine ICE check-in in Dallas.

Many commenters focused on the DACA detail. “Isn’t DACA LITERALLY deportation protection? Like WHAT?” one wrote. Another commenter pushed back on the fear. “I think this is a scare tactic to deter people from going to their appointments. Please be prepared but not fearful.” A third wrote, “You were the most prepared person I’ve seen so proud of you.”

Other longtime residents have also been detained at routine appointments, including a 73-year-old grandmother with no record who has spent decades in the U.S. Mila says she plans to continue sharing her experience to raise awareness about what immigrants may face during their appointments.