TAFT, Texas — Since 2023, Gabriela Isela Morales Rodriguez has been in the process of obtaining her U.S. citizenship. On Thursday, Oct. 16, Rodriguez was detained by U.S. Border Patrol and now faces deportation.
According to Rodriguez’s husband, Gerardo Bodroe, agents detained her at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Inspection Station checkpoint in Sarita, Texas.
Rodriguez had been in Brownsville visiting her mother and helping her run errands.
Rodriguez, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, was living in Taft on a C09 work visa and, according to Bodroe, had traveled through this checkpoint numerous times. Bodroe said that when his wife arrived at the checkpoint, she presented her work permit and other paperwork provided by their lawyer. That paperwork included her Social Security card, work permit, Mexican passport, Texas driver’s license, which is issued by the state of Texas, and other documentation.
“They just started questioning more and just told her that she was detained and that they didn’t give her any specific reason,” Bodroe told KRIS 6. “They just told her to call me to go pick up her things and the car.”
In the days following her detention, Rodriguez has been the sole source of information for her family. Through limited five-minute calls, Rodriguez has tried to update her loved ones.
One of her latest updates: She was being deported.
“Everybody around her is going in and out, you know, getting them processed real quick, and for her, nobody wants to tell her anything about what her process is or nothing,” Bodroe explained. “Then this last occasion on Monday when I couldn’t get a hold of her, they put her on a plane and took her to San Diego.”
Bodroe continued, “From San Diego, they were going to deport her without even telling anybody, without even putting her in the system so that we can look her up.”
KRIS 6 could not find Gabriela Isela Morales Rodriguez in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee database. The database includes those in Customs and Border Protection custody for more than 48 hours.
According to Bodroe, that plane was supposed to land in Tabasco, Mexico, but “broke down.”
In a phone call provided to KRIS 6, Rodriguez described the ordeal, saying she was allegedly left on that plane for more than 24 hours without water or food:
On Wednesday, Bodroe spoke with his wife again. “They told her, gave her a piece of paperwork that she had an order of deportation, that she leaves on Friday to Chiapas.”
Bodroe continued, “We don’t even have family in Chiapas. That’s nowhere even close.”
Speaking of family, Bodroe said the past week has taken its toll. “It’s been the worst. I don’t desire this for anybody.”
“My daughter, she hasn’t even stopped crying in the last six days that my wife’s been gone,” he continued. “This house was full of joy. The two kids, my wife. It’s just been hard for us three right now.”
Bodroe warned others with a status similar to his wife’s to be cautious. “If you have a permit, the same one that my wife has or just a work permit, just try to hold on and just go to work and back. Try not to do any traveling,” he said.
“They’re gonna stop you, and it’s gonna be up to the officer that pulls you over.”
KRIS 6 contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection requesting the status of Gabriela Isela Morales Rodriguez as well as the reason for her detention but has not yet received a response.
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