66-year-old Colombian asylum seeker detained buying coffee, shackled and sent to Texas
Sep 4, 2026·Location: Tacoma, WA
Country of origin: Colombia

Zoilo Viloria, a 66-year-old Colombian asylum seeker who worked in building maintenance in Tacoma, Washington, was detained by ICE agents in a McDonald's parking lot while stopping for coffee on his way to work. His daughter, Stephany Viloria, said agents had been scanning license plates to check drivers' immigration status and took her father away in handcuffs after he nervously handed over his documents. She described him as a hardworking man with no criminal record, not even a traffic infraction, who entered the U.S. legally in 2018 on a tourist visa and later filed for asylum after receiving threats in Colombia tied to his work in the transportation business. He held a valid work permit and driver's license and paid taxes while his asylum case was pending. Days after his arrest, he was transferred, shackled at the hands and feet, to a detention facility in El Paso, Texas, where he has struggled with cold conditions and uncertainty about his care. His daughter posted a video denouncing the arrest, drawing attention to the case.
Timeline
Sources
- ICE detuvo a un colombiano mientras compraba un café en un McDonald’s a pesar de que está en un proceso por asilo, tiene permiso de trabajo y licencia
infobae.com·Sep 2, 2026·archived copy
- ICE detiene a migrante colombiano de 66 años que se detuvo a comprar un café
telegra.ph·Sep 3, 2026·archived copy
- Agentes del ICE arrestan a migrante colombiano en Washington y ordenan su traslado a Texas
elpais.com.co·Sep 2, 2026
- Detienen a solicitante de asilo colombiano en Washington cuando se dirigía a su trabajo
- ICE detém colombiano de 66 anos com autorização de trabalho e pedido de asilo em andamento
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