Carwash worker detained two months, now unable to work while awaiting deportation hearing
Aug 19, 2025 · Santa Ana, CA, Mexico
Mario, a father of three who had worked non-stop for 33 years since immigrating from Mexico, was arrested at the carwash in Santa Ana where he worked during ICE raids on August 19, 2025. He spent six nights sleeping on the floor of a holding cell he called the "ice box," where detainees huddled together for warmth, and two months at Adelanto detention center where he contracted a contagion, possibly flu or COVID. He was released on October 24 after his lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition, but he cannot work while awaiting a final deportation hearing scheduled for July 27. His wife Alejandra said he was severely traumatized after release, refusing to leave the house, barely eating, with no energy to shower. His son now pays for his rent and food, and Mario said he has become "a burden" for his family after decades of being their sole breadwinner.
Sources
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