Ana María had been living in the United States, working, and building a life with her boyfriend. According to the Guardian, she had an asylum case pending in the U.S. immigration system and felt grateful for the safe harbor she had found. She was becoming part of the community and had been happy in the U.S. The Guardian reported that Ana María was arrested by ICE and had a severe negative experience during detention, during which she was subjected to shackling, transfer, and mockery. Following this experience, she requested deportation. She was subsequently deported to her native country in South America, a place she perceived as dangerous, and was thousands of miles away from the life she had been building.