Work-authorized immigrant detained after traffic stop, released after two months in ICE custody
Jul 6, 2026·Location: Evans City, PA
Country of origin: Mexico

Ignacio Carrizalez, a Mexican national with work authorization and an active citizenship application, was detained by ICE agents on April 28, 2026, after Evans City Police stopped his vehicle for an expired registration. ICE agents surrounded his car, and after he refused to answer questions about his citizenship status, he was taken to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County. His wife, Amanda Smail-Carrizalez, a U.S. citizen, reported agents removed him "violently" from the vehicle. While detained, Carrizalez missed a scheduled permanent residency hearing on June 1st, and an immigration judge subsequently ordered him to either self-deport or be deported. On June 26, 2026, he was unexpectedly released after more than two months in custody, just before he was scheduled to be transferred to a facility in Mexico, with his deportation date postponed to September 2026. His wife testified before Butler County Commissioners about the financial and psychological toll on their six-year-old daughter with autism, who experienced nightmares, and the family applied for public assistance following his arrest.
Timeline
Sources
- Butler County woman pleads with local officials on immigration after husband is detained
wesanews.org·Jun 17, 2026·archived copy
- Woman Concerned of Husband's Deportation After ICE Detainment - ButlerRadio.com - Butler, PA
butlerradio.com·Jun 18, 2026·archived copy
- ‘It’s been extremely difficult’: Butler County man returns home after being detained by ICE
WPXI·Jul 4, 2026·archived copy
- Sheriff’s Office, ICE arrest 33 in June in Butler County
- Een vrouw uit Butler County pleit bij lokale functionarissen over immigratie nadat haar echtgenoot is gearresteerd - Soest Nu
soestnu.nl·Jun 23, 2026·archived copy
- Butler County Man Detained By Immigration Officials Released - 977 Rocks 97.7 FM - Butler PA
977rocks.com·Jul 6, 2026·archived copy
- Butler County Man Detained By Immigration Officials Released - WBUT 1050 AM - Butler, PA
WBUT·Jul 6, 2026·archived copy
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