Austin carpenter detained by ICE during traffic stop, wife left pregnant and alone
Sep 21, 2026Austin, TXMexico
Lucas Santiago, a carpenter originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was detained by ICE agents in South Austin while driving to a job with his brother and a friend on September 21, 2026. His wife, Yesenia Santiago, said agents did not inform him of a traffic violation or other offense before detaining him. Lucas is now held at an immigration detention center in Taylor, Texas, while Yesenia cares for their 14-month-old son and prepares to give birth to their second child in a few weeks. The couple had submitted paperwork years earlier to try to secure legal status for Lucas, which has yet to be approved, and Yesenia now faces finding a lawyer, paying bills, and searching for child care and a job on her own.
