ICE Deported 82-Year-Old Grandfather After He Lost Green Card
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
An 82-year-old man was reportedly deported from the United States to Guatemala after he was detained during an immigration appointment to replace his lost green card.
Luis Leon, who received political asylum in the United States in 1987 after being tortured under Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's regime, misplaced his wallet that held his legal residency card, according to Allentown, Pennsylvania, newspaper The Morning Call.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status as part of the Republican Party's flagship mass deportation policy. The White House has declared that anyone living in the country illegally is considered to be a "criminal" by the administration.
In addition to people living in the country without legal status, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained. Newsweek has revealed dozens of cases involving green card holders and applicants who were swept up in the ICE raids.
What To Know
Leon and his wife scheduled an appointment to obtain a replacement green card at a Philadelphia immigration office. However, Leon was detained on June 20 after arriving for the appointment, according to a report by The Morning Call.
He was handcuffed by two ICE officers without explanation and removed from the building, while his wife was held there for 10 hours, according to the outlet.
The family said they have been unable to obtain any information on Leon's whereabouts for weeks. They said that a woman claiming to be an immigration attorney later contacted them with vague details about his case and, on July 9, told them Leon had died.
However, approximately a week later, a relative in Chile informed the family that Leon was alive but hospitalized in Guatemala, despite having no apparent ties to that country.
Federal agents stand outside an immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits federal building in New York on July 17, 2025.
Federal agents stand outside an immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits federal building in New York on July 17, 2025.
Yuki Iwamura/AP
Leon had reportedly been held at an immigration detention center in Minnesota before being deported. However, his name did not appear on any publicly listed ICE detainee locator, according to The Morning Call.
Leon spent almost four decades in the U.S., building a career at a leather manufacturing plant and raising a family. He is now retired. His health status at the hospital in Guatemala is unclear.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration has the authority to deport immigrants to countries other than their country of origin. This decision expanded the government's ability to manage deportations by allowing the removal of individuals to third countries, rather than limiting deportations solely to their home nations.
What People Are Saying
The man's granddaughter, Nataly, told The Morning Call: "I can see all my family is in pain right now."
What Happens Next
Leon's family reported that he has diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition. They said that they intend to travel to Guatemala to be with him.
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