Former Latvian “Dancing With The Stars” contestant Roberts Nemiro was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after attending an interview connected to his marriage-based green card application. The professional dancer was taken into custody in San Francisco on July 28 after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reportedly referred his case to ICE because he had overstayed his visa.
The Department of Homeland Security has emphasized Nemiro’s criminal record while defending his arrest. His partner, Lydia, is presenting a different side of the story, explaining that they believed they were following the proper legal process when they attended the immigration interview together.
Nemiro reportedly entered the United States on a visa in October 2011 but remained in the country after it expired in August 2012. More than a decade later, he and Lydia attended a scheduled USCIS interview with an immigration attorney as part of an effort to adjust his legal status following their marriage.
“On July 28, Robert and I attended our scheduled USCIS interview for his marriage-based green card application with our immigration attorney,” Lydia wrote on a GoFundMe page created after his detention.
According to Lydia, ICE officers were waiting at the conclusion of that appointment. She wrote that “at the conclusion of the interview, ICE officers detained Robert based on a visa overstay.”
Nemiro was reportedly transferred the following day to an ICE detention facility in Bakersfield, California. He is now facing removal proceedings.
DHS Highlights Former TV Dancer’s Criminal Record
Nemiro competed on “Dejo ar Zvaigzni!,” the Latvian version of “Dancing With The Stars.” Following his arrest, DHS drew a sharp contrast between Nemiro’s previous television career and his reported criminal history in the United States.
The department said he was previously convicted of aggravated assault against a non-family member involving a firearm. DHS also listed past arrests involving battery, sexual battery, drug possession and other drug-related offenses.
An arrest does not establish guilt, and the DHS release did not indicate that Nemiro was convicted of every offense included in its description of his record.
Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis defended ICE’s decision to take him into custody. “This illegal alien from Latvia may have once had a career as a professional dancer on TV, but has turned into a career criminal with a rap sheet that includes aggravated assault with a gun, sexual battery, and drug possession,” Bis said.
“Despite California being a sanctuary state, ICE was able to arrest this criminal and get him off our streets, and he will soon be deported from our country,” she continued.
Bis concluded the statement with a reference to Nemiro’s dancing career, declaring, “ICE is bringing the curtain down on his illegal stay and crime spree here in the U.S.”
Nemiro’s Partner Says They Followed The Legal Process
Lydia disputed the implication that Nemiro and his family had attempted to avoid the immigration system. She explained that the couple had sought permanent residency for Nemiro through a marriage-based adjustment of status. His detention at a required government appointment left the family stunned, according to her account.
His partner said that both she and Nemiro “followed the legal process to apply for a green card through adjustment of status after our marriage.” “We have worked hard to do everything we could the right way, and we never imagined that attending a required immigration interview would end with our family being separated,” she wrote.
Lydia did not address the criminal history highlighted by DHS in the supplied portions of her statement. Instead, her fundraising page focused on the visa overstay and the legal process the couple had pursued following their marriage.
Family Raises Money For Immigration Fight
Lydia created a GoFundMe titled “Support Robert & Lydia’s Immigration Legal Fight” to help pay for the costs associated with Nemiro’s case. The fundraiser has nearly reached its $40,000 goal.
Lydia explained that their “immigration attorneys work urgently to pursue every available legal avenue to secure his release.” She described the days following his detention as “overwhelming” and “the hardest of our lives.”
Even if Nemiro is released from ICE custody, she acknowledged that the couple will still face a potentially lengthy immigration case. Nemiro’s wife wrote that when he is released, “our legal journey will be far from over.”
“If you are able to contribute, no matter the amount, your generosity will go directly toward the legal expenses required to continue Robert’s immigration case,” she wrote. “If donating isn’t possible, sharing our story and keeping us in your thoughts means just as much.”
Lydia also thanked those who have offered assistance during “this incredibly difficult chapter.”
Roberts Nemiro Faces Removal Proceedings
DHS said Nemiro is currently in removal proceedings, meaning his immigration case has not yet reached its final outcome. Although Bis stated that he “will soon be deported,” the agency’s own description indicates that legal proceedings are still underway. Lydia’s attorneys are seeking his release and exploring the available options for keeping him in the United States.
Nemiro reportedly built a career in the Bay Area following his appearance on Latvian television. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a professional ballroom dance teacher and dancer.
His detention also arrives as ICE faces intense public scrutiny over its increasingly aggressive enforcement operations, including arrests occurring at immigration appointments and concerns about the treatment of individuals with pending legal claims.