Where they are and what the reality is for Venezuelans detained by ICE

At least 36,000 Venezuelans have been detained between February 2025 and August 2026, according to the Deportation Data Project of UC Berkeley and UCLA Venezuelans in the United States remain concerned about the increase in detentions of foreigners by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the country. The problem worsens week by week, despite recent statements by President Donald Trump, who in an interview with CBS described his own immigration policy as "too tough" following the Republican defeat in the November 3 elections. From an economics professor apprehended in Orlando, Florida, to an engineer arrested in Texas, the stories of those affected reflect the indiscriminate reach of the raids. One of the most recent cases that has sparked outrage among human rights advocates is that of twins Carlos and Luis Orta Santoro, 19 years old, who were arrested on November 4 by US authorities in Alabama, in the southeastern part of the country. Their parents are demanding the young men's release and say they have "already broken down" because of the situation they are enduring in Louisiana, where they are being held awaiting a hearing in immigration court. "Yesterday was one of the worst days since Carlos and Luis were unjustly taken. They transferred them again to a jail in Louisiana that they begged me I didn't want them moved to, but it happened anyway. I'm dying, I have a wrenching pain. My sons have no criminal records, they have never had problems with the law, not even a traffic ticket. Both have valid driver's licenses and work permits valid until 2030. They are young men who have dedicated their lives to studying, working hard, and getting ahead," said the young men's mother, Reyna Santoro, in a call with Efecto Cocuyo from Georgia on November 11. The Orta Santoro family is originally from Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, and lived in La Tahona, southeast of the city in the Baruta municipality. In 2022, they decided to migrate together to the US so the brothers could access a better quality of life. Santoro said her sons showed talent for sports and won championships, medals, and numerous recognitions. The Orta brothers' discipline eventually caught the attention of Wallace State Community College, where they currently study on scholarships. "Now they had the opportunity to represent Alabama and compete in national championships. After so many years of sacrifice, they were beginning to fulfill their dreams. But everything changed: my sons, who should be studying, training, and preparing for their competitions, are today detained, separated from their family, and with their future in uncertainty," Santoro explained. Another case is that of Dr. León Poblete, a university professor and lecturer, Venezuelan by birth and also a Swedish citizen, who traveled from Sweden to Orlando with his family to take his daughters to Disneyland. In an interview with journalist César Miguel Rondón on November 12, Poblete recounted that police intercepted him in a public park and arrested him after asking his nationality. The professor said he was handcuffed roughly and transferred to a detention center without being informed, and he noted that the agents treated him like a criminal, even though he had committed no crime. Finally, Poblete obtained his release on bail and faces a summons scheduled for November 25 of this year. The Venezuelan managed to return to Sweden with his wife and daughters, and from there he denounced that US judicial authorities tried to force him to plead guilty to charges in an expedited hearing, which he flatly refused. He is now trying to manage his case from afar with the advice of lawyers. Another documented case is that of Patricia Valdez, 37, detained at the end of September 2026 in the state of Texas. She is a civil engineer born in Mérida, an employee of the City of Dallas, and the mother of a young child, who was apprehended when she voluntarily attended a check-in appointment related to her asylum application. Valdez is being held in a facility in Oklahoma while awaiting a judicial ruling. The Pew Research Center estimated that in 2024 there were 1.2 million Hispanics of Venezuelan origin residing in the United States. José Antonio Colina, founder of the organization Venezuelans Politically Persecuted in Exile (VEPPEX), asserts that the current figure may approach 2 million in 2026. In an interview with Efecto Cocuyo, he noted that the majority are "in an immigration limbo" and in danger of deportation. The Deportation Data Project of UC Berkeley and UCLA states on its official website, with updated data, that at least 36,000 Venezuelans were detained from February 2025 to August 2026 by immigration authorities in the US. Colina added that those arrested by ICE are held mainly in federal facilities and jails. Many are transferred far from their families and even sent to third countries due to the obstacles to deporting them directly to Caracas, as happened to Marilú Paredes, a 66-year-old retired teacher, who was sent to the Central African Republic on October 24. "This is an arbitrary way of filling the deportation quotas that were one of the Trump administration's campaign promises. In many cases they start shuttling them around the United States. That is, they take them to Louisiana (as happened with the twins), they take them to Arizona or Texas, and those migrants get tired of being detained, sign their deportation, and are taken out of the country," said Colina from Miami by phone. That is what happened to Eliane Lizette Parada Castillo, a Venezuelan who in October completed five months in detention. Her detention occurred when she attended an appointment at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Orlando, Florida. Parada's family denounced that she went through several detention facilities before being transferred to Louisiana, where she is currently being held. "Anyone who is in an immigration limbo, who has applied for asylum in the United States, is a target of ICE. When an agent or police officer stops you and realizes your license is temporary, he already knows you don't have solid immigration status. What happens to people when they are detained? For example, in Miami they take them to an administrative office in Miramar, which has also been turned into a detention center, and from there they start sending them to other states where getting out on bail is much harder or where Habeas Corpus is not easily approved by a judge," Colina pointed out. Following the results of the midterm legislative elections of November 3, 2026 in the United States, which reshape the balance of power in Washington starting in January 2027, expectations for the Venezuelan community in the country have changed, Colina said: "We are hoping there can be immigration protection for all the migrants in the United States, including Venezuelans. Failing that, that they can push for TPS (Temporary Protected Status) but as legislation, not as an executive order," he expressed. Various organizations have expressed concern about immigration policies in the United States, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). All have demanded guarantees of personal integrity for migrants in the country and respect for due process. In September 2026, Amnesty International called for the dissolution of ICE after documenting "a chilling pattern of human rights violations" in its operations. However, the current administration has shown no willingness to address the complaints and requests. In this context, the president of VEPPEX said he has sent at least three reports to the US Congress without effective responses. "This Congress has not been very receptive. We will see whether the Congress coming in January is more receptive on this matter. We hope for initiatives aimed at protecting Venezuelans," Colina concluded. Marilú Paredes, 66, was deported from Texas to the Central African Republic, where she is also without a passport because ICE is holding it. Portillo Zapata had been transferred to the medical facility after presenting severe health complications For the first time, returns of Venezuelans exceed departures. However, experts warn that most of the returns respond to brief visits