BATON ROUGE - A Marine's wife and mom of two previously in ICE custody for the past two months had a happy homecoming with her family after being released on Monday.

Paola Clouatre spent 61 days at a correctional facility in Monroe before she was released, wearing an ankle monitor.

Despite the new hardware, Paola Clouatre is happy to be home.

"Happy to be back home with my kids and my husband," she said. 

Her husband, Adrian Clouatre, first sat down with 2 On Your Side in June. He had been living a nightmare, not knowing what could happen next. 

"It was hard coming home from work every day without my partner, my best friend," he said.

While being detained, Paola was kept in a large room with 100 other detainees. She was told on several occasions that she was going to be put on a plane and sent back to Mexico.

Paola Clouatre had an appointment on May 27 at the New Orleans USCIS for an interview about her permanent resident status. Following that interview, Paola and her husband were met by three ICE agents. She was taken to Richwood Correctional Facility in Monroe. 

Whenever Adrian Clouatre had a chance, he'd drive up to Monroe with their two children to visit Paola. Their son Noah is almost two, and their daughter Lyn is four months old and still nursing.

"I can hug my kids, kiss them, breastfeed my baby at home, hug my son, play with him; I am feeling like a mom again," said Paola. 

About two weeks ago, a judge reopened Paola's case and granted an emergency stay of removal. While the threat of deportation was no longer on the table, the Clouatres were unsure when Paola would be released from custody. That news finally happened early Monday morning, when Paola was told she was being released.

"It was a surprise; I called my husband and said, 'It's me I'm getting released, get in the car now!' He couldn't believe it either," said Paola Clouatre.

Before she left Monroe, a monitor was placed on her ankle. Her location will be monitored until she receives legal residence. 

Former Immigration Judge Carey Holliday has been working to help the Cloutres. 

"They just want to make sure she's stable in one spot so they can find her if necessary, which won't be necessary; she was released without bond on her own recognizance," said Holliday. 

The Clouatres met in Palm Springs, California, where Adrian was serving in the Marines. They recently moved closer to family in Baton Rouge. A week before her interview May 27, the Clouatres learned that Paola's mom had missed an immigration hearing in 2018, and a judge issued a removal order for the entire family. 

"I never knew I had a deportation order; I came here legally, I came here through Tijuana, San Ysidro, I came as a minor with my mom and my brother," said Paola. 

Now that the order is no longer looming over her head, Paola and her family are settling back into their routine. She hopes to get her green card eventually. 

Holliday says they're waiting for paperwork from the court in New Orleans for a hearing. The Clouatres are thankful for the community support, the help from Holliday, and Senator John Kennedy's office.