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Andrés and Luis: 11-year-old boy separated from father by ICE, placed in foster care

Andrés, an 11-year-old Venezuelan boy who likes to draw and paint, was separated from his father Luis during a masked ICE arrest outside their El Paso home and sent to foster care as an 'unaccompanied' minor.

Oct 5, 2026El Paso, TXCountry of origin: Venezuela

Andrés and Luis: 11-year-old boy separated from father by ICE, placed in foster care
Photo via Mother Jones

Andrés, an 11-year-old Venezuelan boy who likes to draw and paint, was arrested alongside his father Luis outside their El Paso home by masked ICE agents who did not present a warrant. Agents separated the two, deeming Andrés 'unaccompanied' despite the fact he had lived with his father for years, and transferred him to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody and temporary foster care while Luis remained in detention unable to locate him for days. Luis, who held Temporary Protected Status after fleeing political threats in Venezuela, said agents 'tricked' him; his attorney later filed a federal petition arguing Andrés was unlawfully detained.

“Since he was little he’s been with me,”
— Luis
“The government lied to me. I asked them to be with my dad, and they took us to a place, and we were separated.”
— Andrés
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