Federal immigration agents have arrested an undocumented woman in court shortly after she received a protective order for alleged domestic abuse.
Irvin Gonzalez, who is identified as a transgender woman, was arrested by six agents at the El Paso County Courthouse.
The ICE agents acted on a tip off, possibly from Ms Gonzalez's alleged abuser, County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal told the El Paso Times.
"Our clients come to us at the lowest point in their lives,” Ms Bernal said. “Many of them are so frightened of coming to us because of possible immigration concerns.”
Ms Bernal told several news outlets that hte person who tipped off the agents may have been the woman's alleged abuser, Mario Alberto De Avila.
She told KFOXTV: “I’m suspicious that the tip may have come from the abuser, who knew precisely where the victim would be at that time and date since he had received notice to be in that courtroom as well.”
Avila is currently in jail on a charge of forgery.
In the last year, Ms Gonzalez had made three police reports alleging she had been punched, kicked and chased with a knife.
She had previously been deported six times and arrested for stealing mail.
The arrest comes under the new administration of President Donald Trump, who vowed to deport foreigners with criminal records during his presidential campaign.
On the fifth day os his presidency, he signed an executive order which ordered his administration to publish a weekly list of crimes committed by immigrants.
