Who is Eva Mendes? ICE detains green card holder with petty offenses from decades ago, ‘Spent her life giving to others’

A adult female from Cape Verde who has had a green card for at least 40 years is being held by US federal agents without a legal justification, her attorney has alleged. 48-year-old Eva Mendes, who has held a green card since she was eight, has a misdemeanor charge from 20 years ago.

Mendes spent nearly two weeks in detention at Boston Logan International Airport. She was detained by Border Patrol agents after she had visited her mother.

Mendes is a grandmother who lives in Rhode Island. Her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, told Newsweek that she had missed the birth of her first grandchild while she was being held in unsuitable conditions.

“This case is just another issue of unlawful immigration abuse. It's just unconstitutional depravity, is what we're dealing with,” Pomerleau said on Wednesday, November 19. “After two weeks of her detention, I still have never been given any written charges for why she's detained. She's not certain why she's detained.”

Mendes was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Logan Airport on November 5. She was returning to the US after visiting her family in Cape Verde, after the sudden loss of her brother.

Pomerleau said that Mendez had not seen her mother for decades. She missed the birth of her grandchild while being held at the airport for 12 days on her return to the United States. ICE records show that Mendes was later transferred to the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine.

Pomerleau claimed that CBP detained his client because of her criminal history and past convictions. This includes a misdemeanor from around 20 years ago. Pomerleau said that some of the crimes are minor offenses from Mendes’ teens, which cannot be used against her. He said it was unclear why exactly DHS was holding her.

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A GoFundMe for Mendes says she has called the US her home for over 40 years, and describes her as a “devoted wife, a hardworking mother of six, and a woman whose kindness and determination have touched every person lucky enough to know her.” It further says that Mendes has “spent her life giving to others — raising her children with love, working tirelessly to provide for her family, and building a future rooted in faith and perseverance.”

The page adds, “Eva is a longtime U.S. Permanent resident with a valid green card, cleared by immigration officials prior to her departure. She does have a few old misdemeanor convictions and an open, decade-old petty case in Massachusettswith an active warrant. But none of these are violent or dangerous — Eva is not a threat to anyone. She is a mother, a wife, a neighbor, and a kindhearted woman who deserves compassion and due process.

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Her husband Jose immediately retained an immigration attorney on November 8, and the lawyer filed a habeas petitionwith the court on November 10 to fight for her release. Despite this, Eva remains detained as of November 11, 2025, and her attorney has not yet been able to speak with her directly.”

The GoFundMe is seeking donations to cover Mendes’ legal fees and costs, “and all necessary costs to secure Eva’s release and protect her right to remain in the country she’s called home for most of her life.”

Federal officials generally do not detain green card holders for petty offenses. They would usually let such individuals go while holding onto their green cards pending further proceedings.

Mendes, a mother of six, has worked and paid taxes in Rhode Island for years, her attorney said. DHS has not yet provided details on the case, or explained why Mendes is being held.

“She's had a green card since she was in like first grade and has been living here her whole life. This is unconscionable. There's no legal justification for doing this to her.”

He added, "Even if they had a charge that could put her in removal proceedings, to deprive her of her liberty...liberty's the norm, not the exception in the United States, for green card holders. Due process applies to all, and when you take away due process from some, you have due process for none."

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