ICE deported Pennsylvania grandfather, 82, after he lost green card

9 months ago

82-year-old Luis Leon, a long-time US resident, was deported to Guatemala after visiting an immigration office to replace his lost green card.
Leon was granted political asylum in the US in 1987 after fleeing torture under Chile's Pinochet regime.
He was detained by ICE officers without explanation, and his family was initially told he had died.
A week later, relatives discovered he was alive but hospitalized in Guatemala, a country with no connection to him.
Leon was first sent to a detention center in Minnesota before deportation, despite not appearing on ICE lists.
A recent Supreme Court ruling allows deportations to countries other than the immigrant's country of origin.
Leon, who worked in a leather manufacturing plant, suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition.
His family plans to travel to Guatemala to see him, while ICE investigates the incident.

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