A 64-year-old woman who has lived in the U.S. without documentation for more than 20 years is now facing deportation after making a wrong turn, according to multiple media reports.
Ana Camero left the La Jolla restaurant where she works as a dishwasher on April 7, stopped to get gas and, after getting turned around, accidentally pulled into the Marine Corps Depot in San Diego where she was asked for proper identification.
Unable to provide it, immigration enforcement officers were called, and while she waited for more information in her vehicle, parked outside the base, she saw Border Patrol arrive, The Mercury News reported.
It was only after a call from a Marine Corps spokesperson that Camero’s family learned that her mother, who suffers from diabetes and has a vascular condition, had been detained.
The 64-year-old Mexican native was being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, though it’s unclear if she remains there.
“Her foot has already begun to swell again due to lack of circulation, something that, if untreated, could lead to severe consequences,” her daughter, Melissa Hernandez, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for legal representation.
Officials at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot told the Los Angeles Times that anyone attempting to enter a federal installation is asked to provide a government-issued ID and if they are unable to, Border Patrol is notified.
“This applies regardless of whether the individual claims the entry was by mistake,” officials said in a statement obtained by The Times. “As a federal installation, we are mandated to uphold all federal statutes [or laws].”
Additionally, U.S. Immigration and Customs confirmed to the outlet that the 64-year-old was in custody and was being processed for deportation to Mexico.
According to Camero’s family, she was provided an attorney during a court appearance at the detention center and does intend to fight the order, though it’s unclear where exactly in the process the 64-year-old is now.
