Indonesian Nurse Detained by ICE While on Family Trip to Disneyland
Monica Ryadi, a registered nurse and Philadelphia resident, was taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport and held for two weeks.
An Indonesian national working as a registered nurse in Philadelphia was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for two weeks after being arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) while on a trip to Disneyland with her American husband and son.
Monica Ryadi, who legally entered the United States in 2005 and has resided in Philadelphia for 21 years, was apprehended by ICE agents on September 15. According to her attorney, Eric Rosenfeld, Ryadi believed she was followed from Philadelphia International Airport. Agents reportedly referred to her as an "illegal alien" and demanded identification, including her passport, despite her presenting a Real ID.
"I didn't think about myself, and I just thought about my son and the fact that he had to witness the whole thing," Ryadi told ABC News. Her husband, Steven Sary, shared that their young son did not understand why his mother could not return home with them.
Federal officials stated that Ryadi was arrested during a targeted enforcement operation at LAX. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) noted that Ryadi had overstayed her initial permission to stay in the U.S. and received a final order of removal from an immigration judge in 2010.
However, Ryadi's attorney countered that an immigration judge had granted her an order of withholding of removal, which protected her from deportation. According to the American Immigration Council, individuals granted withholding of removal cannot leave the U.S. without triggering the removal order, cannot petition for family members to join them, and do not gain a pathway to citizenship.
Ryadi was held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center for two weeks before being reunited with her family on September 29. She underwent her first check-in with the Philadelphia ICE office on October 15, wearing a GPS ankle monitor.
Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, who represents Ryadi's district in Philadelphia, called the case "particularly unforgivable," emphasizing that Ryadi has been in the country legally, committed no crimes, paid taxes, and served the community as a nurse. "This is my home. I built a life here. I wouldn't know what to do if they were to send me to another country," Ryadi stated.
Her family has launched a SupportNow fundraiser to cover legal and court-related expenses, aiming to raise $25,000 and having gathered approximately $7,000. Ryadi plans to continue fighting her case in court, though the possibility of deportation remains.