Secret deportation: 82-year old lost after ICE office visit to replace green card; family was told he died, later found alive in Guatemala
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.
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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.
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