Asylum seeker handyman detained two weeks in ICE custody
Jan 8, 2026·Location: Plymouth, MN
Country of origin: Venezuela
Pablo Nieves, a Venezuelan asylum seeker who legally entered the U.S. in 2018 with a work permit, was detained by ICE agents in a Home Depot parking lot in Plymouth, Minnesota on January 8, 2026. He was transferred to a detention center in El Paso, Texas, where he was held for two weeks before being released on bond after a court hearing. The detention occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement initiative targeting asylum seekers with pending applications.
Sources
- Detained handyman returned to MN after two weeks in ICE custody
www2.startribune.com·Feb 18, 2026·archived copy
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shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com·Feb 5, 2026·archived copy
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- keenesentinel.com
- Asylum seeker in Texas entered U.S. legally. ICE arrested him anyway.
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- FIVE MONTHS IN ICE DETENTION
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- Man without a country: 34-year US resident detained in New Mexico
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