Salvadoran Activist Douglas Menjivar Arrested by ICE, Departs Voluntarily
Jun 10, 2025·Location: Houston, TX
Country of origin: El Salvador

Douglas Menjivar, a 50-year-old Salvadoran immigrant and activist who exposed sexual assault in immigration detention, was arrested by ICE in June 2025 during a routine check-in despite being married to a U.S. citizen and having a reopened legal case. After being detained at Montgomery County ICE facility and struggling with mental health issues, Menjivar and his wife decided he would voluntarily depart to Spain rather than face deportation, leaving behind his wife who had lived in the U.S. her entire life.
Sources
- ICE Deported a Woman Who Accused Guards of Sexual Assault While the Feds Were Still Investigating the Incident
ProPublica·Sep 15, 2020·archived copy
- ICE Guards “Systematically” Sexually Assault Detainees in an El Paso Detention Center, Lawyers Say
ProPublica·Aug 14, 2020·archived copy
- Trump's ICE Arrested a Whistleblower Who Exposed Sexual Assault in Detention. Now, He’s Left the Country.
texasobserver.org·Oct 20, 2025·archived copy
- New Whistleblower Disclosure and Civil Rights Complaint Reveal Abuse, Sexual Harassment, and Medical Neglect at Florida ICE Facility
whistleblower.org·Nov 14, 2024·archived copy
- El Paso Times
- ICE deported a key witness in an ongoing sexual assault investigation at a Texas detention center, report says
businessinsider.com·Sep 16, 2020·archived copy
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