By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
A McKinney-area immigration case involving a local teacher and her husband has drawn regional attention after a routine ICE check-in earlier this year led to his detention.
In the days following his January detention, Heather Alambarrio said she reached out to her elected officials seeking help.
Her Calls and Emails Went Nowhere
Alambarrio said she contacted Keith Self’s office multiple times by email and phone.
“By email since Rafael was detained, I think three times, by phone, probably five or six times,” she said.
Those attempts did not initially result in a response.
“Finally, after the Dallas Morning News did a front page story, that’s when a staffer actually called me back.”
That conversation, she said, was limited.
“He listened, but really they didn’t do anything.”
The only issue raised with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she said, involved conditions at the Prairieland Detention Facility during a stretch of cold weather.
“They said that they did contact ICE about the temperature.”
Beyond that, she did not receive assistance related to her husband’s immigration case.
“As far as it comes to advocating for Rafael’s asylum case, or for our I-130 petition, or for him to be released on bond, they’re unwilling to do any of that.”
The Only Response Was a Generic Policy Letter
Alambarrio also provided a letter she received from Self’s office.
According to her, the letter did not reference her husband’s situation or her request for assistance and instead addressed broader policy matters.
“It takes a while to get a response and it’s a canned response… supporting the ‘big, beautiful bill,’” she said, describing earlier communications from the office.
She said the letter did not indicate that any action would be taken on her husband’s behalf.
TX3DNews contacted Self’s office with detailed questions about the case. As of publication, no response had been received.
Cornyn’s Office Declined to Step In
Alambarrio also reached out to John Cornyn’s office through the senator’s website and by phone.
She was told it could take several weeks to receive a response. A letter later arrived declining her request for a letter of support.
In the response, Cornyn wrote that he was “unable to recommend individuals I do not know personally.”
“I asked him to advocate on my husband’s behalf…,” Alambarrio said, describing the response as “heartless.”
Alambarrio said community members have also supported her family through a GoFundMe campaign created to help cover legal and living expenses while her husband remains in detention.
What Self’s Office Says It Can Do for Constituents
In newsletters shared by Self’s office in recent months, constituents have described receiving assistance from Self’s district staff across a range of immigration matters. These include help securing an advance parole appointment through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), assistance reopening a case so an application could move forward, support in expediting visa processing for family members, and follow-up with federal agencies that contributed to the approval of a pending I-485 application as recently as February 2026.
Alambarrio said that expectation—that reaching out could lead to assistance—was part of why she contacted the office.
“I thought I just gave the benefit of the doubt… and I have been really disappointed,” she said.
Elsewhere, Members of Congress Took a Different Approach
In contrast, other recent immigration cases saw more public action from members of Congress.
In late February 2026, a Rio Grande Valley family, including teenage brothers in a high school mariachi program, was detained after a routine check-in. The case drew national attention and bipartisan criticism. Lawmakers, including Rep. Joaquin Castro, visited detention facilities, and the family was released in March following that attention and pressure.
Separately, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from Minnesota was detained with his father in January 2026 and transferred to Dilley, Texas. The case drew national attention, visits from members of Congress including Castro, and a federal judge later ordered the child’s release.
Each case involved different legal circumstances. In both, elected officials were publicly engaged while the individuals were still in custody, alongside legal proceedings and broader public attention.
A Local Candidate Helped Amplify Her Story
While other cases have drawn direct engagement from elected officials, Alambarrio’s case has gained traction primarily through public attention online.
Evan Hunt, the Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Texas’ 3rd District, which includes McKinney, said he posted about her situation after she contacted him.
“She reached out to me seeking help or raise awareness. I offered to do a post if she wanted to share all the details,” Hunt said.
“There is an outpouring of support for her story online,” he said, noting that most reactions were supportive despite some criticism.
Hunt said his involvement has focused on raising awareness.
“My primary intent is to raise awareness and apply public pressure… to hopefully bring about more leniency and grace in cases like these.”
The Question She Still Can’t Get Answered
Alambarrio contacted both her congressional representative and her U.S. senator seeking help after her husband’s detention.
When asked whether anyone in government was actively working on her behalf, her answer was direct.
“No.”
For Alambarrio, the focus remains on what happens after a constituent reaches out and what that assistance looks like in practice.
Heather Ellis an outstanding elementary teacher where my daughter also works. She is beloved and a true professional- so critical now when so many new teachers have not been properly trained. She was a single Mom, including a graduating high school senior and recent active in their church. Rafael entered the country seeking asylum (legally!!!) because he was an activist against Maduro and there was a target on his back. He was vetted, agreed he had a reasonable threat of harm in Venezuela and legally admitted. Heather had done a student abroad and spoke fluent Spanish. They met Salsa dancing with friends at a festival in Dallas. They married and in December at a meeting were told Rafael was approved and to look for his green card in the mail. The next day Trump suspended all processing for Venezuelans. Then at his mandatory meeting in January he was detained. He has no criminal history at all – no reason other being from Venezuela for being detained.
They recently brought a house together in Collin county, which Heather may have to sell.
So our elected officials who are supposed to be working for their constituents are instead destroying the lives of two innocent young people who contribute so much to our community. This is not making our community safer or “great” nor can it be justified by anything in the Bible. It is just cruelty .
Sorry but she was aiding and abetting an illegal alien. Had the same thing happen in my family. People were stupid and didn’t get around to doing their paperwork. No one blames the government in my case. Should not have been able to qualify to buy a house, either.
These are elected representatives of United States citizens that you are implying don’t do their job. They were never intended to represent people who are here illegally. There are immigration agencies for that. Specific immigration issues are handled by the executive branch of government, not elected representatives.