A Wisconsin man who supported U.S. President Donald Trump has started a fundraising campaign after his wife was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bradley Bartell, who told Newsweek that he does not regret his vote for Trump, is seeking to raise $3,000 to help secure the release of his wife, Camila Muñoz, from ICE custody.
Bartell launched the GoFundMe campaign after their story gained attention earlier this week. Muñoz was detained last month while returning home with Bartell from a belated honeymoon in Puerto Rico and has since been held at a detention center in Louisiana.
“It’s all been a nightmare, really. We’re just taking things as they come and moving forward,” Bartell told Newsweek. “We have an attorney, but the system is very inefficient, and it’s taking longer than it should.”
On the fundraising page, Bartell explained that, in addition to attorney fees, he needed financial help to secure his wife’s release.
Muñoz, a Peruvian citizen, originally entered the U.S. on a work-study visa in 2019 but remained in the country after her visa expired during the COVID-19 pandemic. She continued working and developed a relationship with Bartell, eventually marrying him and beginning the process of applying for legal permanent residency.
Addressing his decision to vote for Trump despite his strict immigration policies, Bartell stated, “He didn’t create the system, but he does have an opportunity to improve it. Hopefully, all this attention will highlight how broken it is.”
