As the Trump administration’s national immigration crackdown intensifies, with hundreds of thousands of deportations already carried out, one bizarre case has emerged that seems to defy the very logic of the policy.
A Lithuanian national who is literally begging the government to deport her remains in detention as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would not let her go. In the case of Tatjana Vesiolko, 38, her pleas to be deported are continuously being ignored while she remains locked up in an ICE detention facility – reportedly for 11 months now. Her American fiancé, Al Dallasta, says he can’t understand the delay. ‘She’s essentially lost a year of her life for what?’ he lamented. ‘She’s falling apart in there.’
A Plea for Her Own Exile
The Mirror US reported that Vesiolko was one of the very first individuals swept up in the massive deportation raids that began as soon as Trump returned to office in January this year. But while thousands of others have already been processed and deported, she is being treated differently.
The Lithuanian woman has been stuck in detention for nearly a year – far longer than almost anyone else. This odd situation is making people wonder why the government is still keeping her locked up when they said they wanted everyone ‘out’ on day one.
Vesiolko’s Background and Why ICE Arrested Her
Vesiolko’s profile exactly fits the description of who the administration wants to remove – someone who overstayed in the country without the required permission. She arrived in the US in 2009 and entered on a visa waiver that only allows her to stay for up to 90 days. But she failed to return home and continued to live in the country for 15 years.
After her arrest, she did not put up a fight and instead expressed her desire to be deported. It was noted that she is a Lithuanian with a valid passport from a country that welcomes deported citizens, so she can go back. The problem is that ICE is not processing her deportation while she remains in custody.
A System in Chaos?
Tatjana Vesiolko is volunteering for deportation, but she is still locked up in the US. Some experts opined that there are some explanations as to why she could not be sent home, and it could be any of these reasons: administrative backlogs, lack of travel documents, or diplomatic hurdles.
It was also suggested that there could be a glitch in the records that Vesioko’s profile had been left out when the deportation of aliens was being processed. Lastly, it was reported that she is being held because of her potential inclusion as a member of a class action lawsuit.
Thousands were already deported following the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) arrests. As of 14 December 2025, The Guardian reported that 327,000 individuals were already deported to their respective home countries out of the 328,000 that have been arrested since the hunt for illegal or overstaying foreigners intensified under Trump’s administration. The federal immigration enforcers also held more than 68,400 people based on the available data.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
