Venezuelan man wrongfully deported reunites with family after nine months abroad
Jun 2026 · Chicago, IL, Venezuela

José Enrique Ojeda Duarte, a Venezuelan immigrant and father of two, was arrested by ICE on September 15, 2025, during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago while heading to work. He was held in detention centers across multiple states. Despite a federal judge ordering the release of 615 people detained in the operation in November 2025, Ojeda's deportation proceeded and he was removed to Venezuela on April 6, 2026. After two months, he returned to the U.S. in June 2026 following legal action by his attorneys, who successfully challenged the deportation as erroneous in federal court. He was reunited with his wife and two children.
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