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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Joe Sommerlad

ICE arrests DACA recipient while delivering milk to his baby in NICU

  • Juan Chavez Velasco, a DACA recipient and medical laboratory scientist, was detained by federal agents in Weslaco, Texas, while delivering milk to his 12-day-old premature infant in intensive care.
  • Velasco, a father of three U.S. citizen children, faces deportation to Colombia despite having no criminal history and contributing to the U.S. as a frontline worker during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • His infant daughter, Elianna, born premature, requires 24-hour blood transfusions, and Velasco's wife notes he has the right blood type to be a potential donor.
  • Velasco's DACA renewal application, submitted in November, went unanswered, and his status expired on March 10 while he was already in custody.
  • A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated Velasco is an "illegal alien" with a 2005 removal order, while his attorney is pursuing congressional assistance and other legal strategies to prevent his deportation.

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