It's been four months since Rogerio Araujo was arrested by federal immigration agents in front of his home. As of Friday, the musician and filmmaker was in a facility in Mississippi.
His wife of 17 years, former Miss Hawaiʻi Cheryl Bartlett, flew to Brazil in hopes of being reunited with him. She's been there for the past two weeks, and it's still anyone's guess as to when Araujo will be put on a plane to Brazil.
HPR reconnected with Bartlett to learn about her husband's current status. "Our request for a stay of removal based on my medical condition and his role as my caregiver was categorically denied by ICE," she said.
According to Bartlett, Araujo has been relocated to different federal facilities in California, Arizona, Louisiana and now Mississippi. She described his experience in Arizona.
“He was forced to sleep for four days and nights on a cold floor in a room built for about 20 people, and there were about 36 people in the room. He said there were no showers available, no blankets, no beds, no pillows. They all slept on the floor, kind of packed like sardines, and tried to sleep. He said he really didn't sleep for four days, four nights," Bartlett said.
Araujo is now being held in Mississippi, where he awaits deportation, but Bartlett said that despite having a final order of deportation, he has yet to be released and flown to Brazil. Their immigration attorney has not been able to get any information about Araujo's status.
Bartlett, who is legally blind and lives with multiple health conditions, said she depends on her husband for caregiver assistance. As she explained, “I'm taking a significant medical risk being here on my own.”
Bartlett said she has begun making efforts to adjust to a new life in Brazil while waiting for her husband.
"I would have to be able to register our marriage here in Brazil to live here permanently, and I can't do that without Roger, so I kind of need my husband here to do that. So right now, I'm on a 90-day tourist visa. I don't regret my decision at all," she said.
“I was encouraged at the beginning of this particular chapter to be grateful for the 17 years of marriage that we were able to enjoy together in Hawaiʻi. At the time, I thought it was a little bit harsh to say such a thing, but the truth is, it's the only way to go forward.”
Friends of Bartlett and Araujo have created Facebook and GoFundMe pages that share updates about their situation and offer ways to support them financially. Bartlett said she is taking things one day at a time.
This story aired on The Conversation on Feb. 27, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
