Sonia Parris, a 30-year-old immigrant who has lived in the United States since she was an infant, was arrested on November 17 in Alabama during a routine traffic stop and was subsequently taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a report by Newsweek. She is currently being held at a processing center in Louisiana.
The Story of Sonia Parris
Parris was born in Mexico but was brought to the United States when she was just two months old. Her family has emphasized that she grew up entirely in the U.S., making America effectively the only home she has ever known.
- DACA Status Lapse: Parris previously lived in the U.S. under the framework of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants protection to “Dreamers.” However, her former husband, Dalton, 34, told media that her DACA status lapsed several years ago when she failed to complete the required renewal process.
- The Arrest: Parris was initially placed in the St. Clair County Jail on November 17 following the traffic stop. Her family paid the associated costs and a $50 bond on the following day. When family members arrived to retrieve her, they were informed that ICE had placed a hold on her and would take her into custody within 48 hours.
- Family Impact: Parris is a mother of two children: a 12-year-old U.S. citizen son, Taylor Parris, and a 2-year-old daughter. Dalton expressed the emotional toll on their son, stating he will likely turn 13 without his mother by his side and “He’ll cry himself to sleep.”
Rigid ICE Detention Policy Under Scrutiny
Parris’s detention has intensified the debate surrounding ICE’s current enforcement strategy, particularly its focus on non-criminal immigrants and bureaucratic status lapses.
- Non-Violent Offense: Reports indicate that Parris has no history of violent crime or serious felonies, with her legal issues being limited to traffic and license-related problems.
- Detaining the ‘Innocent’: A recent report by a San Diego public-media outlet highlighted that ICE has detained individuals even when they arrive for scheduled green-card or interview appointments, often seizing people who have no violent criminal history. Immigration lawyers cited in the report called these arrests unnecessary and “traumatizing.”
- Shifting Focus: Civil-rights watchdog Human Rights Watch has criticized recent ICE tactics as “punishing the innocent,” noting that immigrants with no criminal record have become the largest group held in ICE detention. The Guardian reported that “illegal-immigration violators” (those without crimes) now outnumber those with criminal convictions in detention facilities, increasing the family disruption for long-time residents and parents of U.S. citizen children.
Parris, whose current legal name is Sonia Corona following her divorce, now faces the possibility of deportation due to a status lapse, despite having lived nearly her entire life in the United States.