It is not a "Catch-22" when you're just flat out a fucking illegal and you get caught.
Exactly, and even if the marriage to Greta is legal it's doesn't do Nina any fucking good in the current situation.
In the eyes of ICE Nina is here illegally because she overstayed her work-visa and has no legal standing to be in the USA, that' s the issue at hand, it's why she's been detained and they are hard as fuck on that offense. Being married to an American means jackshit if they didn't put in the proper application and it won't help at all (if it is legal) if it happened after her visa was expired. An illegal getting married to a citizen is subject to a lot of scrutiny and by no means you get to stay in the USA.
This is why Nina is trying to claim asylum - it is the ONLY option she has to prevent deportation, period. Nothing else matters, paper work proving Greta is divorced doesn't do them any good now, that time has passed. ICE got Nina, she's going to be deported unless she is granted asylum. End of story.
If anyone really wants to ensure Nina is deported the most important aspects to publicize, or make easily accessible to any ICE officials, are the following three factors (nothing else really matters):
1. She has worked in the past two years while being illegal - at TLL and Uber.
2. Her article talking about how great India is for trans people and the fact she experienced NO persecution while living in India nor has ever talked about being persecuted in India. (But boy has she bitched about persecution in the USA)
3. She has travels constantly around the country, changed her name without notifying immigration, has had numerous addresses without notifying ICE and is a flight risk.
Maybe throw in the fact her gay trans marriage to Greta might not even be legal for good measure, but the above two are the most important in present circumstances. Number 2 and 3 are the most important factors when it comes to her possibly getting bail or credible fear.
These TLL troons screaming about how she's "married to an American citizen" don't have the first clue about immigration law and don't get that it means jack shit if you didn't file the proper documents with immigration. Her being married to a citizen gives her zero protection in the current situation and that's why she's trying to claim asylum not some bullshit about being married to Greta.