Immigration Interview Arrest
Louisville Mother Detained by ICE During Final Green Card Interview Despite Ongoing Legal Process
A Louisville mother was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during what was supposed to be her final step toward getting a green card. Armelle Bondonga and her husband walked into a scheduled U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interview on August 19 — and ICE agents took her into custody before she could walk out. KCRA reported the couple had appeared voluntarily for the appointment.
Bondonga came to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a child. She was part of her father's asylum case as a derivative family member — meaning she was included in his legal protection claim. She is now married to a U.K. citizen, and the couple are raising their child together in Louisville, according to WISN.
ICE Says Her Visa Expired Over a Decade Ago
ICE told reporters that Bondonga's visa expired in 2014. The agency said she has since built up more than ten years of unlawful presence in the United States. That is the government's legal basis for detaining her, according to WBAL TV.
Her attorney, Arianit Osmani, pushed back on that framing. He said Bondonga entered the country as a child inside her father's asylum proceedings. That legal status, he argued, complicates ICE's claim that she simply overstayed a visa. The case now sits in a legal gray zone between her pending green card application and ICE's removal authority.
She Walked Into the Interview Expecting Good News
Bondonga and her husband showed up to the USCIS office on their own. The interview was described as the final scheduled step in her green card process. No one forced her to appear — she went because she believed she was close to resolving her immigration status, KMBC reported.
Instead, ICE agents were waiting. She was taken into custody at the interview site. Her husband left without her. The moment has drawn sharp attention because it happened during a step meant to bring immigrants closer to legal status — not result in arrest.
A Pending Green Card Application Adds Legal Complication
Bondonga's green card application with USCIS is still open. That pending case is now at the center of her legal fight. Her attorney is arguing that her application — and her father's original asylum case — should protect her from removal while the process plays out, according to WCVB.
Legal proceedings are ongoing. It is not yet clear whether a court will block her deportation while USCIS finishes reviewing her case. Her family, including her young child, remains in Louisville. The outcome could hinge on how courts weigh an active immigration application against ICE's authority to detain someone with a long lapse in legal status.
Her Case Fits a Broader Pattern of Interview-Site Arrests
Bondonga's arrest at a scheduled government appointment is not an isolated event. Immigration advocates say ICE has increasingly used USCIS interview dates to detain people who show up in good faith. Critics argue the practice discourages immigrants from engaging with the legal system at all, according to KOAT.
ICE has not commented on whether her detention is a prelude to deportation. Her attorney has not confirmed whether a formal removal order is in place. For now, Bondonga remains in custody as her legal team works to challenge the detention and keep her green card case alive.
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