Lebanese woman says ICE officer offered green card for sex; DHS calls claim false

A 21-year-old Lebanese woman says an ICE officer sexually assaulted her inside a Texas immigration detention facility and offered to help her get a green card in exchange for sex. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), says the allegations are false. Newsweek reported the story on Saturday. ¹

Rahaf Ali Almerhij, who goes by Lucy Wise and agreed to be named, made the claims in an interview and in a sworn declaration. She gave the declaration to the DHS Office of Inspector General, the department's internal watchdog. She names ICE deportation officer Markell Wallace and says the assault happened at the El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas. ¹

She says Wallace took her into an isolated, self-locking room and touched her sexually without her consent. She also says he threatened to have her husband jailed and deported if she refused him. She says he gave her his personal phone number. ¹

I did not consent to any of this; I refused and told him to stop

What DHS and the officer say

A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that misconduct allegations at El Valle are false. The spokesperson added that misconduct claims are "treated with the utmost seriousness" and that action is taken when they are substantiated. ¹

From Channel GOPOssoff details 1,000 abuse reports from ICE detentionJon Ossoff · 213 plays · captioned, with the source named

Newsweek has not independently verified the account. It says ICE records identify Wallace as a deportation officer at the Harlingen Field Office, and two sources confirmed he works for the agency. When a reporter called, Wallace confirmed who he was and then ended the call. He did not answer a list of questions emailed on November 5. ¹

A late account, then formal complaints

DHS says Border Patrol arrested Almerhij on February 19, 2026, and that she entered the country illegally in August 2024. Her husband says she was studying nursing at Texas A&M University. She was granted voluntary departure on May 1 and is now in Mexico. Her husband is a lawful permanent resident living in Texas. ¹

Almerhij says she did not give the full account while detained because she feared retaliation. Her husband, Sam Wise, says he learned of it in late August. Earlier complaints in February and April covered her eye care and conditions at the facility, including a claim that male staff could see naked female detainees. ¹

On October 9, Wise filed sexual-misconduct complaints with four DHS and ICE oversight offices. Almerhij signed her declaration the next day. On October 23, she met inspector general agents at a border crossing in Mission, Texas, and handed over a 59-page handwritten diary from detention. ¹

Wise says he sent the declaration to a local district attorney on November 5. He says it was forwarded on November 9 to the Raymondville Police Department. Newsweek's report does not say whether any investigation has produced charges. ¹

Why it matters

These are allegations, not findings. They are also contested. But the pattern of fear she describes is one that advocates have raised before. Data from Futuro Investigates showed more than 300 complaints from people held in ICE facilities from 2015 to 2021, and more than half named staff. ²

In a separate case, a former contract detention officer in Louisiana pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Nicaraguan detainee. His sentencing was set for April 10, and the charge carries up to 15 years in prison. ²

That matters because detainees depend on officers for their release, their medical care and their case. Almerhij says that is why she felt she could not refuse. ¹ Whether the inspector general and local police finish a thorough investigation is the question to watch. ¹

The Record

1. Feb 19, 2026DHS says Border Patrol arrested Almerhij near the Rio Grande Valley. ¹
2. May 1, 2026Almerhij was granted voluntary departure and later left for Mexico. ¹
3. Oct 9, 2026Her husband filed sexual-misconduct complaints with four DHS and ICE oversight offices. ¹
4. Oct 23, 2026Almerhij was interviewed by DHS inspector general agents in Mission, Texas. ¹

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<h2>Lebanese woman says ICE officer offered green card for sex; DHS calls claim false</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/lebanese-woman-says-ice-officer-offered-green-card-for-sex-dhs-calls-claim-false">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, November 14, 2026.</em></p> <p>A 21-year-old Lebanese woman says an ICE officer sexually assaulted her inside a Texas immigration detention facility and offered to help her get a green card in exchange for sex. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), says the allegations are false. Newsweek reported the story on Saturday.</p> <p>Rahaf Ali Almerhij, who goes by Lucy Wise and agreed to be named, made the claims in an interview and in a sworn declaration. She gave the declaration to the DHS Office of Inspector General, the department&#39;s internal watchdog. She names ICE deportation officer Markell Wallace and says the assault happened at the El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas.</p> <p>She says Wallace took her into an isolated, self-locking room and touched her sexually without her consent. She also says he threatened to have her husband jailed and deported if she refused him. She says he gave her his personal phone number.</p> <blockquote><p>I did not consent to any of this; I refused and told him to stop</p><p>&mdash; Rahaf Ali Almerhij, Lebanese woman who says she was assaulted in ICE detention, sworn declaration</p></blockquote> <h2>What DHS and the officer say</h2> <p>A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that misconduct allegations at El Valle are false. The spokesperson added that misconduct claims are &quot;treated with the utmost seriousness&quot; and that action is taken when they are substantiated.</p> <p>Newsweek has not independently verified the account. It says ICE records identify Wallace as a deportation officer at the Harlingen Field Office, and two sources confirmed he works for the agency. When a reporter called, Wallace confirmed who he was and then ended the call. He did not answer a list of questions emailed on November 5.</p> <h2>A late account, then formal complaints</h2> <p>DHS says Border Patrol arrested Almerhij on February 19, 2026, and that she entered the country illegally in August 2024. Her husband says she was studying nursing at Texas A&amp;M University. She was granted voluntary departure on May 1 and is now in Mexico. Her husband is a lawful permanent resident living in Texas.</p> <p>Almerhij says she did not give the full account while detained because she feared retaliation. Her husband, Sam Wise, says he learned of it in late August. Earlier complaints in February and April covered her eye care and conditions at the facility, including a claim that male staff could see naked female detainees.</p> <p>On October 9, Wise filed sexual-misconduct complaints with four DHS and ICE oversight offices. Almerhij signed her declaration the next day. On October 23, she met inspector general agents at a border crossing in Mission, Texas, and handed over a 59-page handwritten diary from detention.</p> <p>Wise says he sent the declaration to a local district attorney on November 5. He says it was forwarded on November 9 to the Raymondville Police Department. Newsweek&#39;s report does not say whether any investigation has produced charges.</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>These are allegations, not findings. They are also contested. But the pattern of fear she describes is one that advocates have raised before. Data from Futuro Investigates showed more than 300 complaints from people held in ICE facilities from 2015 to 2021, and more than half named staff.</p> <p>In a separate case, a former contract detention officer in Louisiana pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a Nicaraguan detainee. His sentencing was set for April 10, and the charge carries up to 15 years in prison.</p> <p>That matters because detainees depend on officers for their release, their medical care and their case. Almerhij says that is why she felt she could not refuse. Whether the inspector general and local police finish a thorough investigation is the question to watch.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/lebanese-woman-says-ice-officer-offered-green-card-for-sex-dhs-calls-claim-false">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/lebanese-woman-says-ice-officer-offered-green-card-for-sex-dhs-calls-claim-false.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “ICE Agent Accused of Offering Woman Green Card for Sex Before Alleged Assault” (2026-11-14). newsweek.com/ice-agent-accused-of-offering-woman-green-card-
2. IBTimes UK, “ICE Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Detainee in Federal Custody” (2026-01-07). ibtimes.co.uk/ice-officer-pleads-guilty-sexual-abuse-detaine

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