The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has vehemently denied reports that an 82-year-old Chilean grandfather, Luis Leon, was deported and claims that he died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
A Pennsylvania newspaper, The Morning Call, cited family members of the 82-year-old, who claimed that Leon was handcuffed and taken by ICE agents at a green card appointment in Philadelphia. The family says they were contacted by a woman who claimed to be an immigration lawyer and offered to take on their case, without explaining how she’d heard about what happened. She also told them that Leon had died in ICE custody. The granddaughter of Leon later said that Leon was in a hospital in Guatemala recovering from pneumonia, with no plan to return to the U.S.
The DHS, in a statement from its Office of Public Affairs, said the entire story is false.
According to ICE, "There is no record of the man appearing at any green card appointment in or around the area of Philadelphia on June 20, 2025." They have also denied deporting Leon, a Chilean national, to Guatemala. "ICE’s only record of this individual entering the U.S. is in 2015 from Chile under the visa waiver program," the briefing read.
The Associated Press also reported that Guatemalan authorities have no record of anyone named Leon—or anyone matching his description-being received. The briefing read:
The Guatemalan Institute of Migration—which coordinates with ICE on all deportations from the U.S. to Guatemala—claims they have not received anyone matching the name, age or nationality of Luis Leon back into Guatemala.
Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin defended ICE in a statement and accused the media of rushing to demonize federal ICE agents before knowing all the facts.
ICE never arrested or deported Luis Leon to Guatemala. Nor does ICE ‘disappear’ people—this is a categorical lie being peddled to demonize ICE agents who are already facing an 830% increase in assaults against them. This was a hoax peddled by the media who rushed to press without pausing to corroborate the facts with DHS. This was journalistic malpractice.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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