Chicana painter's father detained by ICE after traffic stop
Apr 10, 2026 · California, CA, Mexico
Criselda Vasquez, a Chicana painter whose celebrated 2017 work "The New American Gothic" features her Mexican immigrant parents, says her father was detained by ICE on March 31 while on his way home from work. According to Vasquez, her father was pulled over and arrested outside a neighbor's home in what she described as racial profiling. Her father has lived in the United States for over 40 years and has four adult children who are U.S. citizens. Vasquez described him as "a devoted husband, parent, and grandfather, and the hardest-working, most selfless person I know." The family launched a GoFundMe that raised nearly $68,000 of an $80,000 goal within 10 days to cover his lost wages and legal fees. Her artwork is part of the permanent collection at the Lucas Museum for Narrative Art in Los Angeles.
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