‘It was incredibly swift’: Why an Alaska family was removed to Mexico this week, one son sent to Tacoma ICE facility Friday

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Days after a Mexican woman and her three children were taken into custody by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Soldotna, with the mother and two youngest children deported within 36 hours to Tijuana, Mexico, the timeline of events and process of deportation is becoming clearer.

Sonia Espinoza Arriaga, a Mexican national who recently married Alexander Sanchez-Ramos, a U.S. citizen, spoke with Alaska’s News Source by phone Wednesday evening from a transit station in Tijuana with her 5-year-old and 16-year-old children who were deported with her.

Her 18-year-old son Alexis Arriaga was first taken into custody of Alaska’s Department of Corrections, according to Alaska immigration attorney Lara Nations, before being transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday.

ICE detainees from Alaska typically spend a few days in DOC custody before transfer to the Tacoma Detention Center.

Family says attorney advised them to continue normal life

Arriaga’s husband, Alexander Sanchez-Ramos, a U.S. citizen, said the family consulted with their attorney after the missed hearing and the notice of removal was issued. He said the attorney advised them to continue their daily lives while the firm worked on next steps.

“They said that this letter — to continue to live our life as we were, go to work, all that,” Alexander said. “And … that this could possibly happen. And if and when it happened, to contact them, so therefore they can go with these next, the next steps.

“So in reference to that question, yes, but we were assured that the process would be different.”

Coming to the US

Sonia Arriaga says she entered the United States in 2023 and turned herself in at the border, triggering removal proceedings, which is a civil court process to determine whether she qualified for asylum, another form of relief, or would be ordered to deport.

Arriaga said she fled her home in Jalisco, Mexico due to domestic violence and gang activity.

She said her oldest son Alexis was brought to the United States separately several months after she and her younger sons arrived.

Alaska’s News Source asked Nations about the nature of Alexis’ immigration case and were told this week that attorneys are still gathering information about the family’s case.

Nations said she is unsure why Alexis is being separated from the family following their detention this week because those under 21 are considered minors in some civil proceedings, which means they tend to be included in a parent’s immigration proceeding.

Attorney: deportation was unusually swift

The family’s attorney confirmed the law generally permits ICE to make arrests and carry out removal orders. She said individuals have a 90-day window to file a motion to reopen a case after a removal order is issued, but noted that window does not prevent the government from acting on the removal order.

“ICE can effectuate the order in general. But it’s not a guarantee. Like, you will get 90 days and then you will be deported. No. There’s no, like, stay of the government’s ability to remove someone during that time period,” the attorney said.

The attorney said the speed of the deportation was notable.

“Yes. It was very fast. We are very far away from Mexico here. And that was incredibly swift. The federal government usually is slow moving in general,” she said.

18-year-old son detained separately

Arriaga’s 18-year-old son, Alexis Arriaga, was not deported with the others. He was placed in the Anchorage jail and has since been transferred, according to the family. The reason he was separated from the rest of the family has not been confirmed.

ICE spokespeople had not responded to requests for comment on the Arriaga case as of the time of this report.

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