Florida is at the front of Trump’s immigration efforts, with ICE just boasting about arresting nearly 800 people in a recent four-day operation.
The possibly illegal deportations are hitting home in the Tampa Bay area, too. This month, protestors gathered outside ICE offices to demand the return of Frengel Reyes Luis Marcano Silva (a cause U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor has thrown her weight behind).
Last Saturday, activists and family members rallied outside the federal courthouse in downtown Tampa calling for another woman to be brought back to the U.S.
Carlos Yunier Valle, with his 16-month-old daughter in his arms, was among those gathered outside, and he told crowds that his wife Heidy Sanchez Tejeda was in the process of getting a green card.
“…but when she went for an ICE check-in on Tuesday, they detained her,” WTSP reported, adding that the last time the couple spoke was the Friday before the protest.
“A lot of people even told me not to go to the appointment, because they would leave her detained,” Valle told the crowd, according to the TV station. “But because we want to do the things right, the way that we’re supposed to, we went.”
![On Mother’s Day, Tampa activists hold vigil for mom deported without 17-month-old daughter [PHOTOS]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/heidy_sanchez_mothers_day-21.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
