MAGA Supporter Says He Still Backs Trump Even After ICE Detained His Wife: 'It's Gone a Little Farther'

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A Wisconsin man who supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 election is standing by his vote even after his wife was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Bradley Bartell's wife, Sylvia Camilla Muñoz-Lira, was taken into custody on February 15 at a Puerto Rico airport as the couple was returning home to Wisconsin Dells from a belated honeymoon.

Muñoz-Lira, a 26-year-old Peruvian citizen, had overstayed her J-1 visa after coming to the U.S. in 2019 for a work-study program in Wisconsin. She later met and married Bartell in May 2024 and subsequently applied for legal residency. Despite her pending application she was detained and transferred to Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana, where she awaits a court hearing.

Bartell said he went a week without knowing where his wife was being held. Since then, they have spoken daily for brief phone calls and communicated through the detention center's messaging system. He added that while an attorney is now assisting them, they have not yet been given a court date.

Bartell remains supportive of President Trump but has expressed concerns about the efficiency of the immigration process. He initially believed enforcement efforts would target individuals with criminal records or those who entered the country illegally. However, he said, "it's gone a little farther than that. They're just grabbing anyone they can,"

Bartell also criticized the way the initiative is being implemented: "It's kind of a tough slope. I just feel they need to get stuff moving on this because they're holding a lot of people and it's costing the taxpayers money. It's taking a long time to even get dates set for people to speak with judges."

Muñoz-Lira's attorney said they are waiting for her case to be logged into the federal system so they can file for bond. If granted, she may be released while contesting her removal. Bartell, who has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal costs, said his wife's bond could be as high as $15,000.

The case is far from isolated. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that many Latinos in south Florida continue to support both the president and his immigration crackdown even as many others feel betrayed.

The outlet noted that in Hialeah, where 95% of residents are Hispanic, only three people spoke against a new partnership between local police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a recent city council meeting.

Frank Ayllon, a Miami resident, told AP he supports Trump's approach, saying he sees border enforcement as a necessity. I feel like a lot of these people are taking it very personal. And it's not personal. It's just that you've got to understand that this has been an open border for many years," he said.

Barbara Canales, brought in by her mother unlawfully when she was a child, agreed with the need to increase enforcement, saying she feels most of those arriving over the past years are different: ""That's why I totally agree that you need to take illegal immigrants out of the United States. I'm sorry, but they should do it," she said.