The story of Mariza da Silva Leandro, 48, a business owner, is marked by a sudden change of plans. After living in the United States for just over four years, the Brazilian woman was detained during an immigration proceeding and returned to Brazil. She says she spent eight days in a federal prison before being transferred to other facilities. Now, back in Divino das Laranjeiras, Minas Gerais, she is trying to rebuild her routine while holding on to the hope of returning to the country where she left part of her family and her husband, who is undergoing cancer treatment.

Mariza says she was in the asylum process and was required to report periodically to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the United States. She reported to the office in Burlington, Massachusetts three times. The location is part of the Boston Field Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the ICE division responsible for immigration enforcement, custody, and removal in the region.

According to Mariza, during her first check-ins, she was granted additional periods of stay. At the last one, however, the situation changed: she was arrested and taken to a federal facility.

"I didn't have court hearings, I just went to immigration, came back, gave them my address. The first time, they gave me two years to stay; the second time, another two years. The time before the last, they gave me another year, and then they arrested me. They told me I was being arrested by the United States of America and that I could no longer stay in the country," she recalls.

Mariza says she spent eight days in detention. According to her, the experience was difficult, particularly because of the conditions she encountered during the transfers.

"Then I was taken to Texas, where I spent one night on the floor, with a dirty blanket full of fleas and no food. For me, that was the worst part," she says.

The Brazilian woman was then transferred to Louisiana, where she remained for about three months. During that period, she had to hire an attorney to try to remain in the United States.

"I had to pay an attorney, but it didn't help. The judge said I could no longer stay in the United States," she says.

Mariza ultimately signed a voluntary departure agreement. She says she received $2,600 through a U.S. self-deportation program. Her return began at Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana, from where she traveled to Brazil, with Belo Horizonte as her final destination. Upon arrival, she says her luggage was stolen.

Her husband, who is undergoing cancer treatment, remained in the United States, along with her dream of staying in the country. Now in Minas Gerais, she helps her mother at a small shop selling traditional foods in the district of Macedônia, in Divino das Laranjeiras.

"We opened this little shop here, and my mother had remained here in Brazil while I was living abroad. I'm helping her now, and I'm enjoying this new experience, working with cookies, cheeses, handmade products, things from the countryside, with more of a focus on traditional rural products — all connected to where we come from, to our Minas Gerais roots," she says.

As she tries to adapt to her new routine, Mariza holds on to the hope of returning to the United States to care for her husband.

"The United States is like this: to succeed, you have to stay focused and work very hard. The advice I give is to focus, return to Brazil, and work for yourself. It's the best thing there is," she concludes.

 To contact Jhonnathas Trindade, email jhonnathastrindade@gmail.com.