Tatjana Vesiolko, a woman from Lithuania, has spent almost 11 months in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in the United States. And, this is her love story.
Under the Donald Trump administration, immigration detention has reached record levels. More than 65,000 people are held in long-term detention, a practice that is becoming increasingly common.
Her 43-year-old American fiancé, Al Dallasta, says he still does not know why she is being held for so long. Tatjana, known as ‘Tia’ to friends, was detained soon after Trump became US president and introduced strict immigration orders.
Her case is unusual because she has been kept far longer than most detainees. Dallasta says she is struggling mentally and physically.
The 38-year-old is desperate to be released before Christmas. The Lithuanian woman now wonders if her case is a mistake or if officials have lost her file.
Tia entered the US in 2009 on a visa waiver and stayed without permission. However, she has no criminal record, holds a valid passport and comes from a country that accepts deported nationals.
Normally, such cases face no major obstacles. But, the Department of Homeland Security said her removal was delayed because she might be part of a class-action lawsuit. She was, nevertheless, never informed or given a chance to opt out.
Experts say her long detention may reflect ICE operating under heavy pressure during strict enforcement.
“There is no question that ICE and its partners have been making more arrests than can be efficiently processed for removal. It sounds like a case of someone who slipped through the cracks,” Jessica Vaughan, director of policy for the Center for Immigration Studies, told USA Today.
Tia-Dallasta love story
Dallasta met her through Facebook in 2024, shortly after his divorce. After exchanging messages, they met the same night and soon became inseparable.
Six months later, while returning from their first vacation in Puerto Rico, Tia was detained at the San Juan airport on Valentine’s Day. Agents told Dallasta she would be deported.
Dallasta believed she would return to Lithuania within days. But, that did not happen. He went home alone and broke down after reading the Valentine’s card she had left for him.
“There are so many paths life can take. The fact that you and I found each other in a whole world of people is not a coincidence,” USA Today quoted Tia as writing on the card.
The long detention has taken a heavy toll on both of them. Tia is struggling emotionally as she gets very limited time outdoors.
Dallasta is dealing with worsening anxiety and even quit his job. He has spent his life savings trying to support her detention case. He is paying large legal fees ($22,000), phone bills ($6,370) and commissary costs ($2,000).
