Florida man stands by Trump vote despite wife's ICE detention
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- A Florida man who voted for Donald Trump stated he does not regret his choice, despite his Colombian wife being detained by ICE while awaiting her green card.
- His wife was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport while traveling from New Jersey to Miami, having entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and later applying for permanent residency.
- The man supports Trump's policies but criticizes the handling of his wife's immigration case, highlighting the complexities and delays in the process.
Mounque “Monk” Barazone, a Florida resident and vocal supporter of Donald Trump, maintains his political stance despite the recent detention of his wife, Gloria Barazone, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Gloria, a 46-year-old Colombian national, was arrested on July 30 at Newark Liberty International Airport while en route from New Jersey to Miami. At the time of her arrest, her application for a green card, filed after entering the U.S. on a tourist visa and marrying Mounque, was still pending.
The couple had been navigating the U.S. immigration system for nearly three years, submitting various documents, seeking extensions, and undergoing an interview for the green card in early 2026. Mounque explained that applications for permanent residency, employment authorization, and a Social Security number were all awaiting resolution. During this waiting period, Gloria had even obtained a Florida Real ID driver's license.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Gloria's arrest during a "targeted immigration enforcement operation." According to an ICE spokesperson, she had legally entered the U.S. on January 18, 2025, with permission to stay until July 17 of the same year. "She overstayed her allotted time in violation of our nation's laws," the spokesperson stated.
No. Absolutely not.
Following her arrest, Gloria was initially held in New Jersey before being transferred to Louisiana and subsequently to the South Texas ICE Processing Center. Her husband noted that these successive transfers complicated legal efforts to challenge her detention, requiring lawyers to refile court documents in different jurisdictions.
Despite his wife's detention, Mounque Barazone remains steadfast in his support for Trump. When asked if he regretted voting for the former president in 2024, he emphatically replied, “No. Absolutely not.” He believes the country would be in a worse state under a continued Biden administration. However, he distinguishes his general support for Trump's policies, which he agrees with “80%,” from his specific criticism of how his wife's immigration case has been handled.
She overstayed her allotted time in violation of our nation's laws.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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