Abigail Salas | KRWG Public Media

How far would you go for love?

About a month ago, Madeline Ramos-Delgado packed a U-Haul, got her dogs in the car, and drove 27 hours from Cape Coral, Florida to Las Cruces.

In August of last year, her husband, Ledgar Ramos Delgado-Reyes, went in for a normal immigration check-in, and he just didn’t come back out she said.

He is currently being detained at the Otero County Processing Center.

She flew back and forth about three times and said she was feeling unsupported in her community.

“That’s when I said, it’s time for me to be close to my husband,” Ramos- Delgado said.

Her shirt displays a photo of her and Ledgar with ‘Justice’ written on top to show that she came to Las Cruces to fight for him.

I went along with Madeline to visit Ledgar where we were able to speak to him in person. We were also able to talk to him over the phone.

He told me he is from Venezuela and entered the country in 2023 seeking asylum. That is when he obtained a work permit and a social security number.

He claims he was detained illegally and that he has no criminal record.

“They violated my process, they don’t respect anything,” he said,

He was in the process of marrying Madeline before his detainment. They ended up getting married at Krome Detention Center back in Miami, Florida. He has an I-30 petition pending, which is the document that helps mixed status couples move forward in obtaining a green card.

“We haven’t had our wedding,” she said. “This is the wedding attire he chose” she said as she showed me his brand-new shirt and pants. “I told him we are going to throw a life party with fireworks and happiness.”

He has filed a Board of Immigration Appeal and a Habeas Corpus Petition challenging the legality of his detainment; both are pending. He said he also has a removal order.

According to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse Immigration, “At the end of May 2026, 3,241,899 active cases were pending before the Immigration Court.” About 84.5% of people have been given removal order by judges.

Delgado- Reyes does not have a lawyer.

From outside, Madeline has been fighting as well. Immigrant advocacy group Dare to Struggle organized a small protest outside the processing center. Mia was one of the organizers.

“Our goal was to go out there to have Madeline speak bitterness towards the conditions that Ledgar has faced inside. And also, so that people inside know that we are out there protesting for their release,” Mia said.

Madeline said it’s tough having to see her husband like this.

“I don’t see him the same how he was like so happy when he was out. Ledger is such a helpful loving man and he’s just quiet and suffers,” Ramos-Delgado said.

She said Ledgar has been dealing with mental health issues recently. He feels that this has interrupted his life.

He remains hopeful that he will be out soon.

“My message to the immigrant community is to keep fighting – do not give up. There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Ramos-Delgado showed me piles of paperwork she has collected over the course of this journey. All of them saved in an effort to get Delgado-Reyes out soon.

“Our hope is for him to come soon and despite the challenges we face every day we continue to believe that building a future together,” Ramos-Delgado said.

We have reached out to DHS about Ledgar’s case. We have yet to receive a response.

Abigail Salas is a multimedia journalist at KRWG Public Media. She came to KRWG with the New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies from NMSU in 2025. She is a Las Cruces native and is excited to share the stories of the people of the community and to give a voice to those that need one. 

This story was originally published by KRWG Public Media