Salt Lake City, Nov 1, 2025 — A viral video showing a woman being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at Salt Lake City International Airport has sparked outrage and confusion after her attorney revealed she is legally authorized to live and work in the United States.
Immigration attorney Adam Crayk, who represents the woman, said the 39-year-old, identified as Marta Leiva from El Salvador, had valid documentation at the time of her arrest.
“When you hear her yelling, ‘I have papers, I’m here legally,’ she wasn’t lying,” Crayk said. “She was saying exactly what she believed — and what her paperwork confirms.”
Viral Airport Arrest Raises Questions
A video circulating online shows Leiva being restrained by ICE agents in the baggage claim area. ICE later stated she was undocumented and subject to deportation. However, Crayk disputes this claim, saying Leiva’s documentation proves otherwise.
Leiva reportedly received an order of deportation in 2020 after missing a court hearing. But Crayk contends that she was never properly notified and that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — the same federal agency that referred her case to court — had continued renewing her work authorization.
“In 2024, she was reissued a valid work permit,” Crayk told FOX 13 News. “At the airport, she was literally holding an unexpired work permit and an official approval letter showing authorization through 2029.”
Crayk provided FOX 13 with a copy of Leiva’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and the corresponding approval notice, which confirmed her eligibility to work in the U.S.
“She’s legally and lawfully allowed to work in the United States,” he emphasized.
Single Mother Seeking Asylum
Leiva, a single mother of four U.S.-born children, has been living in Utah since applying for asylum in 2019. According to her attorney, receiving a work permit was part of the normal process toward achieving legal residency status.
“There’s no other document until she has her asylum trial,” Crayk said. “She was doing everything the system told her to do.”
He added that aside from two parking tickets, Leiva has no criminal record. “Candidly, I’m not sure what else she could have done,” Crayk remarked. “It’s heartbreaking — she had no idea about the court date or deportation order.”
ICE Remains Silent
ICE has not yet responded to requests for comment or clarification on the circumstances of Leiva’s detention. The case has reignited concerns among Utah’s immigrant communities, who fear that even individuals with legal status or pending immigration claims could face sudden enforcement actions.
Civil rights advocates say the arrest highlights the ongoing inconsistencies within U.S. immigration enforcement, where communication gaps between agencies can lead to devastating personal consequences for families following lawful procedures.
