Migrant Bride Marries Without Father Detained by ICE, Shares Moment Via Video Call

Bristol Flores married in the United States, but her father, José Flores, could not attend the wedding as he is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The family found a way for him to witness the ceremony via video call.

As Bristol prepared to walk down the aisle, a video call from the ICE detention center connected her with her father. José Flores saw his daughter in her wedding dress before she said "I do." During their conversation, he expressed his deep affection despite their forced separation. "I love you very much, I miss you, have a great time. Have the best day of your life, I am with you always... Oh, mommy!" he declared.

Bristol responded, "We saved your seat, Daddy. I love you very much." Her mother, Erika Ruiz, shared her pain, stating her husband would never have missed the event by choice. With her father absent, Bristol's mother walked her down the aisle. The separation began five years ago when José was intercepted by ICE agents in 2021 while heading to his construction job. The Department of Homeland Security informed Univision that his detention followed a determination that he had entered the U.S. without authorization at an unknown time and place.

Bristol said her father's detention drastically changed her life, as he was always a pillar in her personal development. She delayed her wedding plans, hoping for his release so he could walk her down the aisle or share the traditional father-daughter dance. Bristol finds strength in her faith and the hope of reuniting with her father, believing he is alive and will one day be free from the detention center. As of the wedding, José Flores remains in ICE custody, and his immigration process is ongoing with no favorable resolution yet.