UPDATE: The husband of a Mexican national who was detained with her three children on Tuesday morning in Soldotna says his wife was deported Tuesday night to Tijuana, Mexico. Alexander Sanchez-Ramos of Soldotna, a U.S. citizen, says he is married to Sonia Espinoza Arriaga. Arriaga spoke with Alaska’s News Source on the phone Wednesday evening from a transit station in Tijuana with her five-year-old and 16-year-old children who were deported with her. AutoplayArriaga says she has been in civil immigration proceedings after declaring herself and her children at the border upon entering the United States in 2023, according to Sanchez-Ramos.He says the family received immigration court paperwork in recent weeks and were working with their attorney to address it when the deportation happened.Alaska Department of Corrections spokespeople confirmed Tuesday that Arriaga’s 18-year-old son Alexis was in DOC custody as of Tuesday night. Alaska’s News Source previously reported the family was being detained at an Anchorage hotel after initial reports from the family attorney. Sanchez-Ramos said his wife told him she was never taken to a hotel and instead told him by phone Wednesday that she and the two minor children were flown to San Diego Tuesday night — then driven to the border crossing.A statement was released on Monday, Feb. 23, about the arrest.An ICE spokesperson said Arriaga and her children were issued a “final order of removal” on Jan. 13 after she failed to show up for an immigration court hearing. They said ICE agents found and arrested Arriaga in a “targeted vehicle stop” in Soldotna on Feb. 17.“Espinoza is now facing the consequences of making the decision to not follow that lawful order to report to ICE,” the spokesperson stated.The spokesperson added that Arriaga requested that ICE agents keep the family together and bring them in to the Anchorage office together.“At no time were the children separated from their mother while in ICE custody,” the spokesperson stated.However, in interviews last week and on Monday, Sonia Arriaga said her older two sons, Cristopher and Alexis, were separated from her for some time while at the Anchorage Immigration Office.Cristopher said in interviews last week and Monday that while they were separated for about 35 minutes, the two signed paperwork and were fingerprinted.The ICE spokesperson said that while 18-year-old Alexis was processed as an adult, he was able to stay with the family until he was moved to a detention facility.“ICE does NOT separate families,” the statement read. “Parents are given a choice to either take their minor children with them or place them in the care of someone they designate. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement.”Original:ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Religious leaders in Anchorage held a press conference Tuesday regarding the detention of Sonia Espinoza Arriaga and her three children (ages 5, 16, and 18) by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lara Nations, an immigration attorney representing the family, says this marks the first instance of minors being taken into ICE custody in Alaska.Alaska’s New Source reached out to ICE spokespeople Tuesday afternoon to confirm details in the case, including whether it marks the first ICE detention for minors in Alaska.The family was detained in Soldotna on Tuesday morning, according to Nations, though the reason for and conditions of their arrest and detention are not yet clear. She said the mother is married to a U.S. citizen, and the four detained family members have no criminal record. Arriaga and the three children arrived in the United States in 2023, Nations said. Nations said she filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court seeking the family’s release. According to an Alaska Department of Corrections spokesperson, 18-year-old Alexis Arriaga is the only member of the family unit taken into DOC custody. He is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Center, a DOC spokesperson said, adding that the Alaska DOC does not hold children.Nations says the minor children and mother are being held in an Anchorage hotel by federal immigration agents and are “not free to leave.”Alaska’s News Source has asked the family’s attorney and ICE for details related to the family’s 2023 arrival in the United States and whether there are any potential immigration court proceedings or a pending asylum request but have not yet received a response. ICE detainees in Alaska are typically held for several days in a state facility before being transferred to an ICE processing center out-of-state, primarily the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.Legislative and community responseState lawmakers have responded to the detention. State Rep. Andrew Gray, a Democrat from Anchorage and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that there will be a hearing on Monday, Feb. 23, from 1-3 p.m. “to learn more about Homeland Security/ICE detainment of minors in Alaska.” He said the hearing will include testimony from immigration attorneys and representatives of ICE and Homeland Security.Religious leaders from multiple faith traditions including the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and Disciples of Christ, gathered for the press conference. Rev. Michael Burke, president of the Alaska Christian Conference, stated that the detention raises questions about immigration enforcement practices.Bishop Tim Oslo of the Alaska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church said the church supports immigrants and refugees receiving due process. Rev. Lisa Adams Sherry of the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship noted concerns about the impact of immigration enforcement on immigrant communities.In response to the detention, Alaska faith leaders have announced organizing efforts including a community mutual aid fund, legal observer training in partnership with the ACLU, and a rapid response network for information about future ICE activities.DHS funding remains deadlocked in CongressThe Alaska arrests occur amid ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement policy. The Department of Homeland Security has been operating under a shutdown since Saturday as Congress remains divided over ICE reforms.The shutdown was triggered in part by shootings during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis last month.Alaska’s News Source reached out to ICE media spokespeople for comment on the detentions and will update this article upon receiving a response. Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a response from an ICE spokesperson on the incident.See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.comCopyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.