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DACA recipient detained while delivering breast milk to premature daughter in NICU

Apr 6, 2026 · Weslaco, TX, Colombia

DACA recipient detained while delivering breast milk to premature daughter in NICU

Juan Chavez Velasco, a 35-year-old DACA recipient who arrived in the U.S. from Colombia at age 8, was detained by ICE agents on February 18, 2026, while driving to deliver breast milk to his premature daughter in a hospital NICU in Weslaco, Texas. Chavez Velasco holds two bachelor's degrees and works as a medical laboratory scientist with no criminal history. He is married to Stephanie Villarreal, a U.S. citizen, and has three U.S. citizen children. His DACA renewal application, submitted in November 2025, remained unanswered and his status expired on March 10, 2026, while he was in custody. DHS cited a 2005 removal order issued before his DACA approval in 2012, arguing that DACA does not confer legal status. He is detained at Webb County Detention Center in Laredo, Texas.

Timeline

Mar 10, 2026Chavez Velasco's DACA status expired while in custody; renewal application submitted in November 2025 remained unanswered
Feb 18, 2026Juan Chavez Velasco detained by ICE agents while driving to deliver breast milk to his premature daughter in the NICU

Sources

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