The other claims about DHS have been vigorously refuted by the Department of Homeland Security. They clarify that Luis Leon, an 82-year-old US-based Chilean, was not secretly deported to Guatemala. Confusion and concern continues about Leon’s status after his original detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. This claim surfaces amid all of that uncertainty.
For nearly four decades, Luis Leon lived in the U.S. He soon developed a reputation for his labor organizing in a leather tannery and for starting a family here, after receiving political asylum in 1987. His asylum was a product of the torture he experienced at the hands of the government of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Leon was allowed to enter the U.S. in 2015 through the visa waiver program.
News outlets quickly reported that he had already been deported to Guatemala, a claim that the DHS has now publicly called a “hoax.” However, it is the department’s position that they have no record of this ever happening. Meanwhile, an ICE spokesperson told news investigators they couldn’t get ahold of Leon’s family to confirm he had just gone missing.
Early reports suggested Leon was first taken to a detention center in Minnesota before he was removed to Guatemala. A family member living in Chile eventually told police that he had been admitted to a hospital in Guatemala City. His granddaughter, Nataly, an artista who performed at the festival, told us that he was in the hospital, getting treatment for pneumonia.
Immigration attorneys unfortunately faced many barriers in reaching Leon’s family to represent him, and even working together, they lost touch with Leon’s family. These issues lead to serious questions regarding the treatment of Leon and practices used by ICE during arrests.
“repeatedly requested information from ICE during its reporting; an ICE spokesperson previously refused to confirm details, including whether or not Leon was even at the Philadelphia office, and said Monday that ICE investigators were not able to contact the family.” – Morning Call
Her case has helped break open a discussion about the overall state of immigration enforcement and the dangers for long-term residents like Leon. His process of finding asylum here in the United States is heartbreaking. It really adds a cool dimension to this powerful, unfolding story.