What should have been a relaxing family trip to Mexico became a harrowing ordeal for a Massachusetts mother when federal immigration agents detained her in front of her three young daughters.
Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, 42, a legal permanent U.S. resident, was suddenly taken into custody upon returning home on August 11, leaving her family in shock and distress.
Decades-Old Charge Sparks Sudden Detention
According to her attorney, the detention stemmed from a marijuana possession charge from 2003—an offense that is no longer criminal under Massachusetts law. “She was taken right in front of our girls,” said her husband, Marcel Rosa, 38.
“They were crying and hugging her. I had to tell them, ‘We might never see your mother again in this country.’”
Ten Days in Harrowing Conditions
Jimenez Rosa spent ten days in federal custody, shuffled between detention centers in Massachusetts and Maine, including one facility that houses only male detainees.
During this time, she was denied proper care for chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma and required hospitalization twice.
Despite repeated inquiries, ICE, CBP, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office provided no answers to her legal team.
It wasn’t until her release on August 20 that ICE indirectly confirmed the reason for her detention—citing the decades-old marijuana charge in an email.
Legal Team Fights for Her Release
Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, successfully petitioned a judge to vacate her past conviction and immediately filed for her release.
“After the motion was filed … they cowered,” he said.
“The ICE lawyer said something like, ‘They’re going to let her out now, because clearly the marijuana charge isn’t around anymore.’”
Jimenez Rosa’s 2003 conviction occurred when she was 20 and a college student.
She completed probation, and her case was sealed over a decade ago, leaving her attorney baffled at the lack of transparency from federal officials.
Outrage and Calls for Accountability
The incident has drawn strong reactions from lawmakers, including Sen. Paul Feeney, who called the detention “brutal and capricious.”
He emphasized that taking a legally present mother from her young children does not make communities safer but instead instills fear and undermines trust in the rule of law.
A Traumatized Family
Upon release, Jimenez Rosa was given no phone or transportation, leaving her stranded 30 miles from home in the rain.
Her husband described her as disoriented, crying uncontrollably, and emotionally shattered.
“She reminded me of asylum seekers who have been victimized,” Pomerleau said. “She couldn’t even function, just held her kids and cried for 45 straight minutes.”
The ordeal has left deep emotional scars. “She’s not the same,” Marcel Rosa said. “She’s crying throughout the day.
She needs help. We all do.” The family is now arranging psychiatric care and a full medical evaluation to address the trauma.
Legal and Financial Support
Pomerleau vowed to pursue accountability, calling the detention a violation of Jimenez Rosa’s constitutional rights.
“If it can happen to a Green Card holder following the law, it can happen to anyone. We are taking a stand,” he said.
To assist with legal and medical costs, the family launched a GoFundMe, which has raised over $14,000 toward its $16,000 goal.
Federal agencies have not commented on the situation.
