Father deported, Minnesota family struggles with separation after ICE arrest
Jan 1, 2026 · Burnsville, MN, Guatemala

Hugo Diaz, a 49-year-old Guatemalan immigrant who built a transportation business in Minnesota, was arrested by ICE in January 2026 and deported to Guatemala, leaving behind his wife Blanca Lara and two young sons in Burnsville. The family is among thousands separated by the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign, including Operation Metro Surge, which resulted in over 3,700 arrests across Minnesota. Diaz's younger son has stopped eating since his father's departure, and both children struggle emotionally with the separation.
Sources
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