New Jersey mother deported after testifying in rape case against ex-boyfriend

A mother of two from New Jersey was recently deported after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers immediately following her testimony in a rape trial.

As reported by The Atlantic on Wednesday, the anonymous victim was leaving a New Jersey courthouse last May when she was tackled by two plain-clothes agents and forced into an unmarked van.

The woman had just provided evidence against her ex-boyfriend, a United States citizen, who she alleged had choked and raped her until she lost consciousness.

The woman’s immigration attorney, Carolyn Hines, suggested that ICE may have acted on information provided by the alleged abuser to retaliate against her.

While a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson denied this claim, they referred to the victim as a "criminal illegal alien" due to minor, dismissed charges on her record.

Despite being a former DACA recipient who had lived in the United States since the age of thirteen, her pleas for release to her children were denied.

She eventually accepted a "voluntary departure" and returned to South America last month after more than two decades away.

Advocates and legal professionals have noted an alarming uptick in such incidents at "sensitive locations" like courthouses, hospitals, and military bases.

This trend has reportedly caused a "chilling effect," with many victims now refusing to report crimes for fear of deportation.

Giovanni Veliz, a retired police commander, noted that criminals are increasingly targeting immigrant communities, knowing victims are unlikely to seek help. The victim stated she still hopes to apply for a visa to one day reunite with her children.