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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
What we know about claim ICE deported Chilean grandad Luis Leon to Guatemala
In July 2025, following reports in The Morning Call, a news site based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a claim circulated online that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Luis Leon, an 82-year-old grandfather from Allentown, while he tried to replace his Green Card at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office and deported him to Guatemala. One summary (archived) of The Morning Call's report on X had more than 6.5 million views at the time of this writing. The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), Reddit (archived) and TikTok (archived). Snopes readers also wrote in to ask if the claim was true. However, we could not independently confirm the details of Leon's alleged deportation as reported by The Morning Call. Since the publication of Leon's story, the Guatemalan Institute of Migration, the Guatemalan immigration service, said (archived) in a statement that no persons matching the "name, age and nationality" in reports about Leon's alleged deportation had entered Guatemala. Attempts to contact Leon's family to confirm reported details proved unsuccessful. We reached out to ICE to ask whether its agents arrested and deported Leon on the dates reported. We also reached out to the Embassy of Chile in Guatemala to ask if it could confirm whether Leon, who is reportedly from Chile, was in Guatemala and how he got there. We await replies to our queries. ICE told The Morning Call on July 18 that an investigation into Leon's alleged deportation was ongoing. The Timeline According to The Morning Call's report citing Leon's granddaughter Nataly, ICE agents arrested Leon on June 20, 2025, at a USCIS office on 41st Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Leon had gone to the office to replace a lost permanent resident card, or green card. The card allows the holder to live and work permanently in the U.S. but does not grant them U.S. citizenship. Nataly told The Morning Call agents arrested Leon and held his wife at the office for hours. Nobody in Leon's family knew where he was. "A few days" later, a woman contacted Leon's family claiming to be an immigration attorney and said she knew where Leon was but refused to tell the family. On July 9, 20 days after ICE officers reportedly arrested Leon, that same woman contacted Leon's family and said he was dead, according to The Morning Call. Also on this date, Michele Downing of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, joined several other speakers at a Lehigh County Board of Commissioners meeting denouncing ICE immigration enforcement actions in the county. Downing said (time code 01:24:13) that Leon was her "friend's grandfather." His name is Luis, and he came here from Chile. He was born there in 1942, and he fled political torture with his wife and his small children to come here in 1987. Four kids and 16 grandkids later, about a month ago, my friend's granddad misplaced his Green Card. So, when immigration called him to come and pick up his new green card he went with his 79-year-old wife to pick it up, and they were both detained. She was released seven hours later and he was never seen again and has never had so much as a traffic ticket in his entire life. Despite reporting medical conditions, and despite obtaining an immigration attorney with every penny they had saved, I received a phone call this morning from Immigration and Customs that he was found deceased at 4 o'clock this morning. It was unclear where Downing got her information about Leon, which varied slightly from The Morning Call's. Downing said Leon was 83 years old, while The Morning Call reported Leon's age as 82 years old. Both were possible if Leon was born in 1942, as Downing said. Snopes reached out to Downing to ask how she knew about Leon and will update if we receive a reply. Downing also added details not included in The Morning Call's report, claiming that she personally spoke to "Immigration and Customs" who confirmed Leon's death. According to The Morning Call, the woman who told Leon's family he was dead claimed to be an immigration attorney. We asked ICE to confirm if one of its agents or lawyers called Leon's family or Downing on July 9. The Morning Call said in its July 20 article that Leon told his family he arrived in Guatemala on July 1. If true, this would further cast doubt on ICE telling Leon's family on July 9 that he had died, as Leon would have been out of ICE's custody by that date. Regardless, by July 20, Leon's brother in Chile had reportedly located Leon at a Guatemala City hospital who were treating him for pneumonia and, through a Chilean government contact, confirmed with an unidentified U.S. official that Leon arrived in Guatemala via a detention center in Minnesota. According to The Morning Call, the hospital in question could not confirm whether Leon was one of its patients due to privacy concerns. Leon's family would travel to see him in Guatemala, a July 20 report said. Snopes could not independently confirm Leon's route to Guatemala. Leon did not appear in ICE's Online Detainee Locator System through a name search. However, since Leon had reportedly left the U.S., ICE likely removed his information from the system. In February 2025, Guatemalan President Dr. Bernardo Arévalo said during a news conference that his government would receive 40% more deportation flights of "national returnees as well as deportees from other nationalities for their ulterior repatriation." However, the Guatemalan Institute of Migration said in a July 20 statement, "Guatemala coordinates with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) on the reception of persons deported from the United States of America, which does not include South American nationalities." It also said there was "no person matching the name, age and nationality mentioned by the media" who entered Guatemala on the dates in question, referring to reports such as The Daily Call's. provided Spanish to English translations of the Guatemalan Institute of Migration's statement. Green Card | USCIS. 8 Jul. 2025, Migración Guate. "#Comunicado | Migración Guate, Informa:" Facebook, 20 Jul. 2025, Online Detainee Locator System. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025. "Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo at a Joint Press Availability." United States Department of State, Accessed 21 Jul. 2025. Sheehan, Daniel Patrick. "Is ICE Running Rampant at Lehigh County Courthouse? Protesters Say so, and Demand the County Act." The Morning Call, 10 Jul. 2025, Sheehan, Daniel Patrick, and Elizabeth DeOrnellas. "Allentown Grandfather's Family Was Told He Died in ICE Custody. Then They Learned He's Alive — in a Hospital in Guatemala, They Say." The Morning Call, 18 Jul. 2025, ---. "Update: Family Says Allentown Grandfather in Guatemala after ICE Arrest. but Country Says It Has No Records of Him." The Morning Call, 20 Jul. 2025, Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
ICE Deported 82-Year-Old Grandfather After He Lost Green Card
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. 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.
4 days ago
- Politics
Guatemala denies that Chilean green-card holder was deported from the United States
GUATEMALA CITY -- The Guatemalan government on Sunday denied that U.S. authorities deported a Chilean man to the Central American country. The Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported Luis Leon, 82, a legal permanent resident of the United States who won asylum in 1987, ended up in Guatemala after being handcuffed in a Philadelphia immigration office, where he went to replace his lost green card. The news report relied on family accounts. The Morning Call reported Sunday that Leon was recovering from pneumonia in Guatemala and didn't plan to return to the United States, according to his granddaughter. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was looking into the circumstances, according to The Morning Call. ICE did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Sunday. The Guatemalan Migration Institute said in a statement that it coordinates with ICE on all deportations from the United States and that no one matched Leon's name, age or citizenship. Guatemala agreed in February to receive people deported from the United States who are from other Central American countries. Its agreement does not extend to Chileans. The Trump administration has embraced deporting people to including El Salvador, South Sudan and, last week, the African kingdom of Eswatini.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Guatemala denies that Chilean green-card holder was deported from the United States
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The Guatemalan government on Sunday denied that U.S. authorities deported a Chilean man to the Central American country. The Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported Luis Leon, 82, a legal permanent resident of the United States who won asylum in 1987, ended up in Guatemala after being handcuffed in a Philadelphia immigration office, where he went to replace his lost green card. The news report relied on family accounts. The Morning Call reported Sunday that Leon was recovering from pneumonia in Guatemala and didn't plan to return to the United States, according to his granddaughter. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was looking into the circumstances, according to The Morning Call. ICE did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Sunday. The Guatemalan Migration Institute said in a statement that it coordinates with ICE on all deportations from the United States and that no one matched Leon's name, age or citizenship. Guatemala agreed in February to receive people deported from the United States who are from other Central American countries. Its agreement does not extend to Chileans. The Trump administration has embraced deporting people to countries other than their own, including El Salvador, South Sudan and, last week, the African kingdom of Eswatini.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Secret deportation: 82-year old lost after ICE office visit to replace green card; family was told he died, later found alive in Guatemala
Luis Leon, an 82-year-old Pennsylvania resident, was unexpectedly deported to Guatemala after visiting a US immigration office to replace his lost green card. Leon had been living in Allentown for decades after being granted political asylum in the US in 1987, following torture under Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's regime. He had lost his wallet containing the physical card that confirmed his legal residency, according to The Morning Call report cited by the Guardian. Therefore, Leonus and his wife had booked an appointment at an immigration office for 20 June to have the card replaced. However, upon arrival, Leon was suddenly handcuffed by two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and led away without explanation, his wife said. She was allegedly held inside the building for 10 hours before relatives came to collect her. The family said they then heard nothing about Leon's whereabouts, despite numerous attempts to contact authorities. Days later, they received a phone call from a woman claiming to be an immigration lawyer who said she could assist, but she did not explain how she knew about the case or where Leon was being held. On 9 July, the same woman contacted the family again and told them Leon had died. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When the Camera Clicked at the Worst Possible Time Read More Undo However, in a shocking twist, the family learned a week later through a relative in Chile that Leon was, in fact, alive, but hospitalised in Guatemala, a country with which he has no known connection. The relative said Leon had initially been detained in an immigration facility in Minnesota before being deported, although his name did not appear on any public ICE deportation lists. His family remains in the dark about how and why he was removed to Guatemala. A recent US Supreme Court ruling had allowed the Trump-era policy permitting deportations to third countries, not just countries of origin, to stand. Leon, who had spent nearly four decades in the US working at a leather manufacturing plant and raising a family, had since retired. His medical condition remains unclear, but relatives say that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and a heart condition. They now planning to travel to Guatemala to be by his side. The case is currently under investigation.
