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5-year-old boy detained with father in Austin traffic stop, held at Dilley facility

Aug 20, 2026·Location: Austin, TX

Country of origin: Mexico

5-year-old boy detained with father in Austin traffic stop, held at Dilley facility
Photo via Newsweek

Liam Tadeo, a 5-year-old just days from starting kindergarten, was detained by ICE agents alongside his father, Victor Martinez Nieto, after federal agents stopped their vehicle in Austin, Texas, while the family was headed to a soccer game. Both were booked into the CoreCivic-operated South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where DHS said they would remain together pending Martinez Nieto's removal. Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said Martinez Nieto begged ICE to release Liam to his mother, as was done for the boy's 3-year-old cousin and uncle detained in the same stop, but ICE refused. Liam's mother said she could not say goodbye to her son, that his bedroom remains untouched, and that the family wants them reunited. His aunt described him in a GoFundMe post as 'a beautiful, intelligent, and big-hearted little boy.' DHS said Martinez Nieto, a Mexican national, had previously accepted voluntary departure in February before reentering the U.S. without authorization. Fuerza Migrante called on Mexican authorities to intervene, while U.S. Rep. Greg Casar called for Liam's immediate release and closure of the Dilley facility, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said ICE denied his request to visit the family. Members of Congress have said children at Dilley have been denied medical care, and an immigration attorney said Liam will likely remain there for weeks with an uncertain future.

Timeline

Aug 20, 2026—Rep. Greg Casar publicized the case and called for Liam's release and closure of the Dilley facility; Rep. Joaquin Castro said ICE denied his request to visit the family
Aug 16, 2026—ICE agents stopped the family's vehicle in Austin, Texas, detaining Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son Liam Tadeo while releasing the boy's 3-year-old cousin and uncle to relatives
Aug 16, 2026—Father and son booked into CoreCivic-run South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley; attorney says father's request to release Liam to his mother was denied
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