Federal immigration officers arrested a Northwest Arkansas man just after completing an interview where his I-130 Petition had been approved. FORT SMITH, Ark. — A Northwest Arkansas man was taken into custody by federal immigration officers just moments after completing an interview with the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Fort Smith. Julio, who has lived in the United States since 2003, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday immediately after his I-130 Petition was approved during his interview. His wife, Giselle, a naturalized U.S. citizen, said they had just received approval on their I-130 Petition, a step that confirms the legitimacy of their marriage and allows couples to move forward in the immigration process. She said they were overwhelmed with joy when his petition was approved — only for that moment to be cut short. "We were happy the moment they told him, 'Yes, you're approved for I-130, everything's fine, you're going to continue,'" Giselle said. "We walked out the door and that joy was taken away from us." Susan Duell, the couple’s attorney from Bogart, Small & Duell in Rogers, was present during the interview. She said they were blindsided when ICE agents appeared outside the building and arrested Julio without explanation. “We were absolutely shocked that ICE was there in the first place, but also that Julio was someone they wanted,” Duell said. “He imminently qualified for the benefit he is seeking, even those people are now being blocked for being able to legally immigrate when they absolutely qualify." According to Duell, Julio has no criminal history or prior deportation orders. He is currently being held in the Sebastian County Jail and is expected to be transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. Giselle said she’s devastated and wants to see an immigration system that gives families like hers a fair chance. “We were doing something legal, and they didn’t care. They arrested him anyway,” she said. Julio was released from ICE custody three months after arriving in the Louisiana facility. On Sep. 25, an immigration judge ruled in Julio’s favor, allowing him to remain in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident. In October, 5NEWS reported that Julio was back with his family and says he is focused on “prosperity” and “hard work.” That report can be found here.