Brazilian Actress Granted Voluntary Departure After ICE Detention in Los Angeles

Image: Renata Mietto

Brazilian actress Renata Mietto, detained by ICE in Los Angeles at the end of August, has received authorization from a U.S. immigration judge to leave the country voluntarily. The ruling prevents a formal deportation order — a penalty that can bar someone from returning for years — but still marks a difficult turning point in her life.

Under voluntary departure, Mietto must leave the United States within the deadline set by the court. In most cases, immigrants granted this option have up to 120 days to settle personal matters before departing. If they fail to leave within the allotted time, the voluntary departure automatically converts into a deportation order. That shift can trigger the loss of bond money and make it impossible to apply for new immigration benefits for up to ten years.

Her immigration attorney explained that voluntary departure can be beneficial for those who hope to return someday, since it avoids the harsher penalties associated with a formal removal order.

Speaking to Brazilian media, Mietto’s mother said her daughter reported mistreatment during detention and is experiencing a mix of relief and sadness — relieved to avoid deportation, but devastated to abandon her college studies and the life she built in the United States since 2016.

Mietto was detained at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Hawaii. She was later transferred to an ICE immigration facility in El Paso, Texas. Her arrest came during a period of record enforcement, with more than 50,000 ICE detentions reported in August alone.

The actress has lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade, completing high school and studying performing arts on a student visa. According to her family, she lost her valid immigration status due to an error during the visa‑renewal process — a mistake that ultimately led to her detention.