Venezuelan engineer and new mother detained by ICE at asylum appointment
Sep 26, 2026·Location: Dallas, TX
Country of origin: Venezuela

Patricia Valdez, a 37-year-old Venezuelan engineer from Mérida known to loved ones as Patty, was detained by ICE while attending a scheduled check-in with immigration authorities as part of her asylum application process, and was transferred to a detention facility in Oklahoma. Valdez, who became a mother three months ago, worked for the City of Dallas and previously taught at the Engineering Faculty of the Universidad de los Andes in Venezuela. In the U.S. she has passed the FE exam and holds the Engineer in Training (EIT) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications, recently passing the PE Civil Construction exam, and is active in communities of Venezuelan engineers. Her family says she has no criminal record, is seeking reunification with her infant son, and has started a GoFundMe campaign to cover her legal defense and her baby's care.
Sources
- elpitazo.net
- ICE detiene a ingeniera venezolana, madre de bebé de 3 meses, tras cita de asilo
enfoquenoticioso.com·Sep 28, 2026·archived copy
- Detienen en EE UU a la ingeniera merideńa Patricia Váldez tras acudir a cita de asilo: Tiene un bebé de tres meses
diariopicobolivar.net·Sep 27, 2026
- telesurtv.net
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