Trump-Supporting Canadian Faces Deportation from U.S., Family Calls It a "Betrayal"
The family of a Canadian woman who once cheered on Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies now says they feel betrayed, after she was detained in California during an interview for U.S. permanent residency—only to learn she is now facing deportation.
“We feel completely blindsided,” said Francisco Olivera, a U.S. citizen, Trump voter, and husband to Cynthia Olivera, in an emotional interview with KGTV. “I want my vote back.”
Cynthia Olivera, 45, and a mother of three U.S.-born children, has become yet another case highlighting the contradictions in the Trump administration’s narrative that its immigration crackdown is solely aimed at violent criminals.
While being undocumented is typically a civil offense, not a criminal one, the White House insists that anyone lacking legal status is a criminal subject to deportation.
Olivera’s story took a sharp turn after Trump won his 2024 comeback election, vowing aggressive action on immigration—a message that earned Francisco’s support. According to Cynthia, her journey to the U.S. began when she was just 10 years old, brought from Toronto without authorization by her parents.
In 1999, U.S. immigration officials at the Buffalo border crossing issued her an expedited deportation order. But within months, she slipped back into the U.S. from Mexico through San Diego.
“They didn’t ask me for citizenship – nothing,” she recalled. “They just waved me in.”
Over the next 25 years, Olivera built a life in Los Angeles—working, paying taxes, and raising her family. According to KGTV’s investigative team, no criminal charges exist under her name in California or federal databases.
In the final stretch of Joe Biden’s presidency, she received a work permit, and had been actively pursuing a green card. But instead of backing Kamala Harris, Biden’s endorsed successor, Francisco once again voted for Trump—believing his wife wouldn’t be affected by the very policies they supported.
That assumption was shattered on June 13, when Cynthia attended a green card interview in Chatsworth, California—and was immediately detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A Change.org petition has since been launched, calling for compassion and urging her release.
She’s now being held at an ICE facility in El Paso, Texas, awaiting deportation proceedings.
Speaking to KGTV from detention, a heartbroken Cynthia said, “The U.S. is my country.” She added, “It’s where I went to school, met my husband, and raised my kids.”
But the Trump administration showed no leniency, despite her husband’s unwavering support. A spokesperson bluntly labeled her “an illegal alien from Canada”, emphasizing that she had been deported before, re-entered illegally, and now faces removal for committing a felony by returning after deportation.
The Canadian government, while acknowledging her detention, stated it cannot intervene, citing that immigration policies are sovereign decisions of each country.
Francisco Olivera summed up their frustration: “My wife, until just recently, truly believed in what Trump promised for the next four years.”
Cynthia, still emotional, told officials she and her husband are willing to cover her flight costs to Canada, where she plans to stay with a cousin in Mississauga. But so far, there's no word on when—or if—she'll be allowed to leave.
Fighting back tears, Cynthia said, “The only crime I committed was loving this country, working hard, and providing for my kids.”
Description:
"A Canadian mother of three, who supported Donald Trump's mass deportation plans, is now facing deportation herself after being detained during a green card interview in California. Her family says they feel betrayed by the very policies they once believed in."