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DACA mom detained by ICE while Christmas shopping in Phoenix, lawmakers call for release

Dec 31, 2025 · Arizona, Mexico

DACA mom detained by ICE while Christmas shopping in Phoenix, lawmakers call for release

Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya, a DACA recipient and mother of two U.S. citizen children ages 17 and 19, was handcuffed and detained by ICE on Christmas Eve while shopping at a T.J. Maxx in Phoenix's West Valley. She and her husband operate the El Taco Loko restaurant and a food truck in Laveen, and she is the sole provider for her children following her husband's deportation. At the time of her arrest, she was awaiting a delayed DACA renewal, had no new criminal charges, and was wearing an ankle monitor after being released on bond following about a month in immigration detention earlier in the year. Her attorney said she had been fully complying with her orders, and she had a court hearing scheduled for 2028. She is being held at the Florence Processing Center. Arizona lawmakers called for her release, with state Sen. Analise Ortiz saying, 'People like Flor and her husband are entrepreneurs who contribute to their community.'

Timeline

Dec 31, 2025Arizona lawmakers and immigrant advocates called for her release
Dec 24, 2025Detained by ICE while Christmas shopping at a T.J. Maxx in Phoenix's West Valley; taken to the Florence Processing Center

Sources

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