A Chicago-area woman who has spent months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody says she fears she could be deported at any moment, leaving behind her American husband and two children.
Airida Gould, a native of Lithuania, was taken into ICE custody in May after appearing for a green card interview. Her arrest happened despite her ongoing immigration case and has left her separated from her family, including her husband Mark Gould, an Army veteran, and their two sons.
Gould recently spoke with the ABC7 Chicago I-Team through a video call alongside her immigration attorney and husband, describing her experience inside immigration detention facilities and the uncertainty surrounding her future.
She said one of the worst experiences came after she was transferred from the Broadview ICE facility in Illinois to another detention center in Brazil, Indiana.
“I think people taking care better for their cats and dogs,” Gould said while describing the conditions there. She said the environment was so disturbing that she did not want to go into further detail.
After spending time in that facility, Gould was moved to a women’s detention center in Kentucky, where she says conditions have improved.
According to Gould, the Kentucky facility is much cleaner, but she continues to face restrictions and limited access to basic comforts.
She told the I-Team that while the facility is maintained better, she has not received fresh food during her more than two months in custody.
“The food, you know, we never get any fresh foods, never,” Gould said. “I’m longer than two months now with zero fresh foods.”
Gould said her opportunities to spend time outdoors are also limited. She is allowed to go outside for exercise only three times a week for about one hour each time.
“We go to gym to get fresh air. One hour, three times per week,” she explained.
The separation has been especially difficult for her family. Her husband and children are living more than 300 miles away, and communication is limited to text messages and occasional video calls.
Mark Gould said he wakes up each day hoping to receive a message from his wife.
“In the morning when I wake up, the biggest apprehension I have now is I wait for your text,” he said. “First text is like when I get my relief.”
Despite the emotional strain, Airida Gould said she remains hopeful that she and her family will eventually be reunited.
She became emotional while discussing the possibility of seeing her husband and children again.
“That day will come. I know it’s coming soon,” she said. “And it doesn’t matter what. We’re going to be together, and everything will be just perfect, beautiful.”
Gould’s immigration situation is complicated by a previous removal order issued nearly 17 years ago. She said she was unaware that appearing for the green card interview could result in her arrest.
According to reports, Gould attended the interview after receiving advice from her first immigration attorney. During the appointment in May, ICE agents detained her.
She said she was taken into custody without being given the opportunity to properly say goodbye to her family.
Gould recalled that agents told her the situation was connected to changes under the current administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
“They told me, they said, ‘Ma’am, we have to be honest with you. What’s going right now we never had before. This is what new administration does,’” Gould said.
She added that the agents apologized but told her they were required to carry out their duties.
Gould is now represented by former Chicago immigration court Judge Carla Espinoza, who is working to prevent her deportation.
Espinoza explained that because Gould is already detained, ICE has the ability to enforce the previous removal order before her current immigration appeals process is completed.
“Now that she’s detained, ICE can enforce that removal order,” Espinoza said. “So, it’s a battle against time.”
Gould currently has a pending case before the Board of Immigration Appeals, but her attorney fears she could be deported before that case receives a decision.
Espinoza said ICE’s authority to remove Gould before the appeal is resolved creates a major challenge.
“ICE has the power to take away that avenue for relief by removing her,” she said.
For Mark Gould, the uncertainty has created constant emotional stress as he waits to learn whether his wife will be allowed to remain in the United States.
“You’re living with this like constant void and pit in your stomach,” he said. “It doesn’t go away, just dealing with heartache on a daily basis.”
Gould remains detained in a women’s annex facility in Kentucky, where she says medical care has been adequate. However, her attorney says detention conditions vary widely between facilities and argues that some centers have struggled due to increased immigration arrests.
Espinoza said many detention facilities are facing pressure because of a growing number of people being held as part of expanded immigration enforcement efforts.
For Gould and her family, the immediate concern remains whether she will be allowed to continue fighting her immigration case from inside the United States or whether she will be removed before that process is complete.
