An undocumented 64-year-old grandmother is facing deportation after she mistakenly exits on her way home from get off work.
Ana Camero's family said she unexpectedly detoured her way to the entrance to a San Diego Marine Corps after she was currently in custody for more than a month at the Mesa detention center.
Camero came home on April 7 at a dishwasher in La Jolla restaurant when she stopped to gas. She then mistakenly drove into the Marine Corps Recruitment Warehouse in San Diego. There, she was asked to conduct proper identification and call on immigration enforcement when she could not provide one, officials said.
Her daughter Melissa Hernández told News Tremondo 20, “It was just a wrong turn.”
Carmelo has lived in the United States for more than 20 years. According to her family, she was born in Mexico and did not have a California driver's license or any other form of identity card.
Hernández said her mother had diabetes and had a vascular condition but did not receive any medical or medication during her detention.
"She has started to swell due to lack of circulation, which can lead to serious consequences if not treated in time," Hernández said in a Goffodmi campaign.
A spokesperson for Marine Corps Recruitment Warehouse said in a statement that when someone attempts to enter a federal device without proper authorization, they must provide government-issued proof of identity.
"When a person is unable to provide the required form of identification, the appropriate federal authorities (including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol) will be notified. This applies to whether the individual compensates the entry is wrong," the statement said. "As a federal facility, we are authorized to maintain all federal regulations (or laws).
Camero's family said officials at the Marine Corps recruits warehouse contacted the U.S. Border Patrol after Camero was unable to propose a valid form of identification.
Hernández, upon receiving a call from a Marine Corps spokesman, learned that her mother was in custody and he told her that her mother's car was at their base.
Hernández told Mercury News that she saw the Border Patrol car arrive while she was waiting for more information outside the base.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Carmelo case.
Camero was offered a lawyer during a recent appearance at the OTAY MESA Detention Center. According to her family, she intends to fight the deportation order.