11-year-old boy separated from father, deemed 'unaccompanied' after ICE arrest
Oct 5, 2026·Location: El Paso, TX
Country of origin: Venezuela

Andrés, an 11-year-old Venezuelan boy who likes to draw and paint, was arrested alongside his father Luis outside their El Paso home by masked ICE agents who did not present a warrant. Agents separated the two, deeming Andrés 'unaccompanied' despite the fact he had lived with his father for years, and transferred him to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody and temporary foster care while Luis remained in detention unable to locate him for days. Luis, who held Temporary Protected Status after fleeing political threats in Venezuela, said agents 'tricked' him; his attorney later filed a federal petition arguing Andrés was unlawfully detained.
Sources
- “You kidnapped my son”
Mother Jones·Oct 5, 2026
More incidents in Texas
- Married couple detained by ICE, family raises funds for legal costsOct 12, 2026 · San Antonio, TX
- Man tackled and arrested by ICE inside Texas H-E-B storeOct 12, 2026 · Alamo, TX
- Unmarked ICE vehicle strikes Houston man, shattering leg and hip, amid chase for another manOct 12, 2026 · Houston, TX
- Houston business owner handcuffed in ICE vehicle, feared deportation as witnessOct 11, 2026 · Houston, TX
- Siblings filming ICE raid tackled and detained; U.S. citizen family files federal claimsOct 9, 2026 · Brownsville, TX
- Father detained by ICE and facing deportation, leaving son to cover billsOct 8, 2026 · Houston, TX