Norcross army wife faces possible detention at ICE check-in while husband trains, attorney says

The wife of a U.S. Army soldier could be detained during a required immigration check-in Wednesday morning in Norcross, according to her attorney, potentially separating the couple while her husband is away completing military training.

The woman is scheduled to report to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 8 a.m. at its facility on Holcomb Bridge Road. Attorney Tony Kozycki said he expects she will be taken into custody and ultimately deported.

Her identity and nationality were not disclosed.

According to Kozycki, the woman recently appeared remotely for a hearing before an immigration court in Texas. 

Her application for asylum was denied, and she has remained under ICE supervision through electronic monitoring while complying with required check-ins.

After the denial, she contacted Repatriate Our Patriots, an organization that advocates for deported veterans and military families. The group connected her with Kozycki Law, an Atlanta-area immigration firm with several attorneys who served in the military.

Kozycki and members of Common Defense Georgia plan to hold a news conference outside the ICE facility at 7:30 a.m., shortly before the woman is scheduled to report.

"We ask our soldiers to be prepared to leave their families behind and put their lives on the line for this country," Kozycki said. "No soldier should have to worry that while he is away answering that call, his own government will tear his family apart."

The circumstances surrounding the woman's asylum application, including why it was denied and whether she has exhausted every available appeal, were not immediately clear. 

It is also unclear whether ICE has formally notified her that she will be detained Wednesday.

The case comes amid growing scrutiny of immigration enforcement involving military families.

An Associated Press investigation⁠ published this month identified at least 52 spouses and parents of active-duty service members who have been detained by immigration authorities since President Donald Trump returned to office. At least six were deported, one left the country voluntarily and eight remained in federal custody at the time of the report.

The federal government does not routinely track the detention of military family members, meaning the AP's count is likely an undercount.

The Department of Homeland Security told the AP that military service does not automatically give a person or their relatives legal immigration status or exempt them from enforcement.

Immigrant relatives of service members may qualify for "parole in place," which can allow certain people who entered the country without authorization to remain temporarily and pursue legal status without first leaving the United States. The AP found that average processing times for the benefit had grown to about a year, leaving some families vulnerable to enforcement while their applications remained pending.

It was not immediately clear whether the Army wife reporting in Norcross had applied for parole in place or qualified for the program.

"Family readiness directly impacts mission readiness," said Danitza James, president of Repatriate Our Patriots. "Without a strong homefront, we cannot have a ready force. Our government must honor its commitments to those who serve."

CBS News Atlanta has contacted ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for additional information about the woman's case.