16-year-old detained by ICE en route to church, father arrested when picking her up
Jul 31, 2026 · San Antonio, TX

Emely Charloth Suaza Chambo, a 16-year-old student at Churchill High School in San Antonio, was detained by ICE while on her way to church. ICE agents told her father, Fernando Suaza Ortiz, who was employed at the Hilton Garden Inn, to pick her up or she would be sent out of state. When he arrived at the location to collect his daughter, he was also taken into ICE custody. Both have pending asylum cases and are being held at the Dilley detention facility in Texas. Congressman Joaquin Castro shared their story on social media.
Timeline
Jul 30, 2026—Both held at Dilley detention facility; Congressman Joaquin Castro shares their case publicly
Jul 29, 2026—Emely Suaza Chambo detained by ICE while on way to church in San Antonio; her father Fernando Suaza Ortiz arrested when arriving to pick her up after ICE instruction
Sources
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