A conservative Colombian lawmaker known for her support of Republicans is facing public scrutiny after revealing that ICE authorities have detained her 23-year-old son.
Ángela Vergara, a congresswoman associated with Colombia’s Conservative Party, said her son, Rafael, has been held for more than 20 days at the River Correctional Detention Centre in Louisiana.
He was arrested by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The detention comes amid a broader immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump.
According to CNN, Vergara chose to speak publicly about the case because her son has not been allowed to return home. She mentioned that he also requested voluntary departure.
Additionally, the lawmakers shared that she wanted to draw attention to what she described as poor conditions faced by Colombian detainees in the United States.
“This isn’t a political issue; it’s really a human rights issue,” Vergara said. “Being a conservative politician doesn’t mean I agree with human rights violations in Colombia or anywhere else in the world.”
Started… Going
Pro-Trump far right Colombian congresswoman Angela Vergara cries over ICE snatching her son pic.twitter.com/5wyJKP2DJA
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) February 15, 2026
According to Vergara, Rafael was detained during a routine inspection while driving a commercial cargo truck in Louisiana. She said he had been living in the U.S. legally with a work permit, contributing to Social Security.
He had also applied for asylum in 2023, a year after arriving in 2022. As per Vergara, the asylum hearing was scheduled for 2028.
“He told me that he was with 70 people in a cell, that they had gone 12 hours the day before without drinking water, (and) everyone was sick,” Vergara shared.
As per reports, CNN reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, for a comment. However, federal officials have not publicly confirmed details about Rafael’s case.
After learning of his arrest, Vergara said her family requested voluntary repatriation, believing it would be the fastest solution. However, she mentioned that delays in deportation flights have left many Colombians in custody longer than expected.
Earlier this month, Colombia signed an agreement with the United States to resume repatriation flights. Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio informed that only one flight per week would operate in the coming months.
Vergara argued that the limited number of flights has created a “bottleneck” and called on Bogotá to increase the frequency of humanitarian transfers.
The case has triggered debate online over the ICE protocols, mainly because Vergara’s Conservative Party often expresses support for Trump’s immigration policies in the U.S. and has been critical of Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro.
Pro-Trump Colombian congresswoman Angela Vergara celebrated when Donald Trump returned to the White House
Now she is begging for help because her son has been “imprisoned for 18 days” after being detained by US immigrationhttps://t.co/viqC54fLSZ pic.twitter.com/71RKETp4sQ
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) February 19, 2026
But Vergara has rejected those claims. This week, she also denied allegations circulating on social media that she was part of “Latinas for Trump” or had celebrated deportations.
Nevertheless, in a separate message, Petro opened up about the detention, saying, “No matter the paradox, the Colombian embassy in the U.S. must help this Colombian congresswoman to recover her son.”
In short, Vergara urged the government to act more quickly on humanitarian flights despite her role in politics.
