Costa Rican man with U visa detained by ICE for three months, loses 15 kg in Louisiana facility
Sep 25, 2026·Location: LA
Country of origin: Costa Rica

Jorge Mata Campos, a 51-year-old Costa Rican national who holds valid U visa status as a crime victim, has built a life in the United States working in construction, buying a house, marrying, and raising a 16-year-old U.S. citizen son. He was arrested at his home in Nashville following confusion over a 911 call, after earlier voluntarily visiting ICE offices to try to resolve his immigration case. He entered detention while still recovering from a car accident that had left him incapacitated for months. For about three months he has been held at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana, where he says poor food and inadequate medical care have caused him to lose nearly 15 kilograms. Speaking with La Nación by video call, Mata described punishments imposed on detainees and said some resort to self-harm, telling the outlet, 'No les importamos' ('They don't care about us'). He has requested voluntary departure but has not received a date, and his attorney continues trying to resolve his case.
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