In a recent case, ICE detained a Texas father on his way to bring milk to his critically ill newborn baby. Juan Chavez Velasco, 35, was stopped by immigration agents on February 18 while driving to a neonatal intensive care unit with milk for his baby girl, who was born premature. He told the agents he was a DACA recipient with a U.S. citizen wife and children, but he was still taken into custody and transferred to a detention center in Laredo.
Chavez Velasco entered the DACA program in 2012 and is married to U.S. citizen Stephanie Villarreal, 32. He and his wife have three children, including his newborn. According to Villarreal, she was on the phone with her husband when he was stopped by immigration agents. She said she heard agents tell Chavez Velasco to step out of the car. Chavez Velasco said the agents told him his status and family did not matter. He is currently being detained and has not seen his newborn.
Juan Chavez Velasco is a contributing member of our Weslaco community. After enrolling in DACA, he earned two college degrees and worked on the frontlines of the Covid pandemic.
He should be with his family and newborn baby right now, not held up in a South Texas ICE detention…
— Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (@RepGonzalez) March 18, 2026
Brought to the United States from Colombia as a child in 1999, Juan Chavez Velasco entered the country on a tourist visa with his parents when he was eight years old, according to a report from MS NOW. Years later, in 2016, his parents were granted legal residency status through their U.S. citizen daughter, but Chavez Velasco’s own journey towards permanent status has been slowed due to longer processing times for sibling petitions.
He had submitted a renewal request for DACA status, but the government had not acted prior to his detention. His status expired on March 10, after he had already been taken into custody. Speaking from the Webb County Detention Center, Chavez Velasco said he felt betrayed by the federal government.
He stated, “I feel very sad and heartbroken because I would have thought that the Trump administration would be more compassionate towards people like me who contribute to this country and have, for all our lives, basically lived in this country.” He further stated, “I love this country. I love what I’ve been able to accomplish in this country.”
Juan Chavez Velasco, who has been trained in biology as well as clinical laboratory science, works as a medical laboratory scientist and has worked in an emergency room during the pandemic in his previous role.
Juan Chavez Velasco’s attorney, Jodi Goodwin, told The Daily Beast, “The outcome will depend on whether or not U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approves an extension of Chavez Velasco’s DACA application, as well as whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement approves his Stay of Removal.”
The REAL story :
A final order of removal (often called a deportation order) against Juan Chavez Velasco was issued in 2005, according to statements from a Department of Homeland Security.
The reason stems from his family’s immigration history: They entered the U.S. on a… https://t.co/JYHr0cIjKV
— hernando arce (@hernandoarce) March 18, 2026
According to Goodwin, the Trump administration has already redefined the term deferred action, and this occurred while he was in detention. Goodwin also warned that other individuals in the same program may be subject to the same risks. Stephanie Villarreal, the wife of the detainee, told MS NOW that her husband has followed all the legal expectations and has a clean record. She said that her husband has never had any criminal history.
According to the official spokesperson, individuals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are not exempt from deportation even if they are already a part of the program.
The spokesperson emphasized that DACA does not give the individuals legal status to stay in the country. As per the statement, the individuals may be arrested and deported for various reasons, including involvement in any criminal activity. The case adds to ongoing debates over immigration enforcement in Texas.
