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Venezuelan pastor detained by ICE at Houston airport while traveling with wife

Aug 6, 2026 · Houston, TX, Venezuela

Venezuelan pastor detained by ICE at Houston airport while traveling with wife

Luis Morales, a Venezuelan pastor who leads four Adventist churches in the Houston area, was detained by ICE agents at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Aug. 6 while preparing to fly to New York with his wife to visit their daughters. Morales came to the U.S. with his wife, Karina, and their two daughters in 2020 and the family has lived in Houston since 2023. His wife says his Temporary Protected Status was revoked in November 2025, but the family's asylum case remains pending, and they had not received any deportation orders. Morales remains held at an ICE detention center in Livingston, Texas, while his family awaits answers.

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