A U.S. Army soldier’s wife is back home after immigration officers removed her from a deportation flight to Brazil and released her following more than a month in federal custody.

Maisa Lopes Eliaser, a 32-year-old Brazilian national married to Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo, had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since July 8. She was placed aboard a deportation flight Wednesday, but officers received a phone call during the trip and asked whether she wanted to continue to Brazil or return to the United States, Eliaser told The Associated Press.

Eliaser remained aboard as other detainees left the plane in Brazil, then returned to Louisiana and was released. Her family said it does not know who prompted the reversal. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately explain the decision in response to the AP.

Eliaser had overstayed a tourist visa and received a removal order in April. She and Jaramillo married in 2024, and she plans to ask an immigration judge to reopen her case while pursuing permanent legal status.

The case drew national attention amid wider scrutiny of immigration enforcement involving military families. More than 60 Democratic lawmakers recently opened an inquiry after reports that dozens of spouses and parents of active-duty service members had been detained.

Eliaser’s release does not resolve her immigration case, but it temporarily reunites the family while she seeks further legal review.