Overview
- Agents stopped Juan Chavez Velasco on March 18 in Weslaco as he drove milk to his newborn in the NICU and transferred him to the Webb County Detention Center in Laredo.
- His DACA renewal application filed in November received no decision, and his authorization expired on March 10 while he was already in custody.
- A DHS spokesperson said DACA does not confer legal status, cited a 2005 final removal order, and promoted self-deportation with a $2,600 offer and a free flight.
- His wife says he has no criminal history, and records show he works as a medical laboratory scientist who served in an ER during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Attorney Jodi Goodwin is seeking a swift USCIS renewal and release as the U.S.-citizen family reports urgent medical needs for the NICU infant and fears deportation to Colombia.