She was adopted into an abusive US home. Decades later, immigration policies sent her back to Brazil

She was adopted into an abusive US home. Decades later, immigration policies sent her back to Brazil 20 mins ago When Maria Pires was adopted from Brazil as a child, she believed she was officially an American. But her adoptive father, who sexually abused her for years, never completed paperwork to make her a citizen. As an adult, Pires served prison time for several violent crimes. Still, officials allowed her to remain in the U.S. for decades — until the second Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. Officials say she’s a serial criminal no longer welcome in the U.S. At an annual immigration check-in this March, she was detained and eventually deported. She's in a Brazilian shelter, trying to rebuild her life. Trump's efforts have swept up tens of thousands of immigrants.