Rosa Olson faces deportation hearing in El Paso immigration case

Rosa Olson awaits a late October immigration court hearing in El Paso. The active-duty soldier’s wife faces possible deportation this month if proceedings move against her. She is a Mexican national.

Her husband, Jacob Olson, has served seven years in the Army. He stated his comments reflect his personal views and not the military. He declined to state his rank.

“All of the things I am saying today are opinions of my own personal opinions,” Olson said.

The couple met in July 2024 during her stay on a student visa. They married in November 2025 following his military deployment. She stopped attending school in December 2025 during the filing period.

The couple filed form I-130 and form I-485 three weeks after marriage. Olson said he omitted an IRS tax return from the packet. The missing tax return caused the first denial.

“Something I didn’t know that needed to be included was an actual IRS tax return,” Jacob Olson said.

He noted the agency denied the $1,440 filing rather than requesting the missing record. An ICE memo from April 2025 changed military protections. Relative service no longer halts enforcement.

The couple tried filing a second time through a notary in El Paso. Officials gave them a receipt number for a work permit. They also completed scheduled biometrics.

“Since we didn’t receive the denial, we thought things were fine because they gave us the work permit receipt and they scheduled biometrics to go and get fingerprints,” Jacob Olson said.

Removal proceedings began with a notice to appear in court. The couple hired a lawyer for their initial court appearance. Olson claimed the judge received inaccurate information during that session.

Olson said the court claimed his wife entered the country illegally. He denied that claim. He said the court also claimed she violated student visa rules.

“It doesn’t feel good because I’ve never done anything wrong and I’ve been treated like a criminal this whole time. That’s how it feels,” Rosa Olson said.

Her husband described ongoing fear regarding the upcoming legal outcome. He worries their efforts will still separate them.

A notice to appear begins formal removal proceedings in federal immigration court. Judges evaluate residency petitions and determine legal admissibility during these scheduled hearings.

The couple said their second El Paso hearing is Oct. 22. USCIS did not respond to requests for comment.