Mayla Fernanda is a person from the Dominican Nationality who was arrested on suspicion of sex trafficking and she was found in the possession of over two thousand articles of foreign currency. As a result, her nationality has been taken and the United States authorities have issued an order for her removal from the country. She has since been denied access to a U.S. immigration lawyer and instead has been forced to wait until her trial begins in an open court. If found guilty, she faces years in prison if convicted.
Fernanda is currently being held at the Menorca Immigration detention center facing deportation. The reason for her arrest stems from an alleged sex slave recruiter who is said to have procured the position through a woman already in the country illegally and then supplied Fernanda with false information about her height and identity to sell her into slavery. Mayla Fernanda’s lawyers claim that she is an Irish national, while her lawyers in the Dominican Republic state that she is from the Dominican Republic but that her real nationality is not known. The two sides are in disagreement as to the precise nationality in this case, with the Dominican Republic stating that Fernanda is originally from Ireland.
The problem in this case is that Fernanda is being held in a situation where her identity is at stake as her real nationality and that of the person of the false identification may also be at stake. Her lawyers claim that her true citizenship is Ireland, however, according to the authorities in the Dominican Republic, she should have her nationality legally changed before her trial. Mayla Fernanda’s trial could take place in as few as twenty-four months if she has no access to an attorney to help her protect her identity or obtain access to assistance to adjust her status.