Immigration

She was arrested by ICE and her son died two days later: “They didn’t let her leave to say goodbye one last time”

ICE denied a humanitarian request from a Maryland mother, leaving her in detention as her teenage son lost his fight with cancer.

Brian Snyder

Corina González Roddy Cons

Update: Jan 19th, 2026 18:21 EST

U.S. immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has led to repeated cases of family separation. In many situations, detainees are transferred far from their loved ones, leaving no opportunity for a final goodbye. That is what happened to Arlit Martínez, a Maryland resident who was taken into custody by ICE despite pleading to see her gravely ill son one last time.

The teenager died shortly afterward.

Arrested on the way to work

WBOC reported that Martínez, who had lived in Maryland for roughly 20 years, was detained on the morning of Jan. 3 while on her way to work in Salisbury. After her arrest, the 41-year-old mother begged authorities to allow her temporary release so she could say goodbye to her son.

ICE denied the humanitarian request and transferred her to a detention facility in Baltimore. According to Univision, Martínez is a mother of four and the wife of Rigo Mendoza-López. She is currently being held at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey.

“They would not let her say goodbye”

Speaking to WBOC, Mendoza-López said that the day before Martínez was arrested, the couple took their son Kevin to the hospital. Doctors told them the teenager showed signs of improvement.

That changed after Kevin learned his mother had been detained. According to his father, the emotional shock worsened Kevin’s condition to the point that he could not be taken back to the hospital. Kevin died on Monday, Jan. 5, just two days after his mother’s arrest and shortly before his 16th birthday.

The family, with support from doctors and attorneys, appealed to federal agents to release Martínez so she could see her son one last time. The request was denied.

“She will never see him again,” Mendoza-López said. “We tried everything to get her out, but they would not let her say goodbye to my son for the last time.”

ICE arrested Arlit Martinez two days before her 15-year-old son died from cancer. The Maryland mother of four was headed to work when she was detained. Despite urgent pleas from her family, lawyers, and doctors, she was not released to say goodbye. She is reportedly still in… pic.twitter.com/xufLlzA6Sf
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) January 15, 2026

Why was Arlit Martínez detained?

ICE has not publicly commented on the case or explained the specific reason for Martínez’s arrest.

According to WBOC, which reviewed Maryland court records, Martínez had a 2015 traffic citation for driving without a license in Wicomico County. No other criminal record was found in Maryland.

Family plans to leave the United States

Mendoza-López told the outlet that he and his family planned to travel to Mexico to bury Kevin. He said the family had intended to return to Mexico years earlier but stayed in the United States after learning their son was seriously ill.

Now, they are grieving both the loss of a child and a separation they say never should have happened.