Father and 5-year-old son detained at traffic stop, deported together to Mexico
Aug 25, 2026·Location: Austin, TX
Country of origin: Mexico

Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were detained by ICE agents during a traffic stop in North Austin on August 16, 2026, while driving to a children's soccer game. Video showed Liam crying and clutching his handcuffed father's hands; a family spokesperson said Liam had been due to start kindergarten that week. The two were held together at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said officials denied requests to release Liam to his mother in Austin rather than risk him being placed alone in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. DHS said Martinez Nieto had entered near Laredo in 2022, was arrested in November 2025, and had reentered after a prior deportation. Lawmakers Joaquin Castro, Greg Casar, and James Talarico called for the pair's release and for Dilley's closure, with Castro denied a facility visit. Martinez Nieto agreed to depart voluntarily with his son, and the two were deported to Mexico, reuniting with relatives with help from the Mexican Consulate, while Liam's mother sought ways to reunite with him.
Timeline
Sources
- Client Challenge
- 5-year-old boy detained in viral Texas video deported to Mexico with father
scrippsnews.com·Aug 26, 2026·archived copy
- 5-year-old Liam, father deported to Mexico after ICE detention in Austin
cbsaustin.com·Aug 27, 2026
- 5-year-old detained by ICE with his dad has been deported to Mexico, attorney says
ms.now·Aug 27, 2026
- 5-year-old boy and father will be deported after ICE arrest on way to Austin soccer game | Houston Public Media
houstonpublicmedia.org·Aug 25, 2026
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