Summary:
- Luis Leon, an 82-year-old Chilean national and legal U.S. resident, was deported after reporting a lost green card in Pennsylvania.
- Leon was taken into custody by ICE, detained in Minnesota, and deported without family notification.
- His family searched for weeks without knowing his whereabouts; they later discovered his deportation occurred silently.
- Leon had no criminal background and complied with U.S. residency rules, according to his family.
- Legal experts and advocacy groups criticized ICE’s lack of communication and the treatment of elderly immigrants.
- Leon is now alone in Chile, while relatives in the U.S. seek legal ways to bring him back.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported an 82-year-old legal resident, Luis Leon, after he visited an immigration office in Pennsylvania to report a lost green card, according to multiple media reports. Leon—a Chilean national and torture survivor who had lived in the United States for nearly four decades—was transferred into ICE custody, held in a detention facility in Minnesota, and deported to Chile without informing his family.
Leon’s disappearance triggered alarm among relatives, who were unaware of his whereabouts for weeks. Some feared that he had died in custody. It wasn’t until recently that family members confirmed he had been deported, although details surrounding the circumstances remain limited.
According to family accounts cited by various outlets, Leon entered the immigration office voluntarily, expecting to begin the administrative process of replacing his green card. Instead, he was taken into custody and rapidly transferred out of state. His relatives, who had received no official notification from ICE, began searching hospitals, detention centers, and morgues before eventually learning of his deportation.
In a statement quoted by The Independent, one relative described the uncertainty during those weeks as “a nightmare,” adding, “We didn’t know whether he was alive.” The family also said Leon had no criminal history and was fully compliant with residency requirements.
The handling of Leon’s case has raised questions among immigrant advocacy groups and legal observers about ICE’s communication procedures and protocols for detaining elderly individuals, particularly those with long-standing ties to the United States. Speaking to The Daily Beast, an immigration attorney familiar with the case remarked that Leon’s deportation “defies basic standards of fairness,” pointing to the absence of a court notice or legal proceeding prior to his removal. ICE has not publicly commented on the specific circumstances of the case.
While the agency maintains broad discretion in enforcing immigration laws, the case has reignited debate over the treatment of vulnerable noncitizens, especially those who have lived in the country for decades. Advocates have called for increased transparency and safeguards to prevent similar incidents, emphasizing that routine interactions with immigration officials should not lead to unannounced detentions or deportations.
Background:
Here is how this event developed over time:
- 1987: Luis Leon, a Chilean national and torture survivor, was granted asylum in the United States and became a legal permanent resident.
- June 20, 2025: Leon visited a Philadelphia immigration office to report his lost green card and was unexpectedly detained by ICE agents; his wife was also held for 10 hours before her release.
- Late June 2025: Leon was transferred through multiple ICE facilities, including one in Minnesota, without any communication to his family.
- Early July 2025: An anonymous caller falsely claiming to be an immigration lawyer contacted Leon’s family, offering legal help and later falsely stating that Leon had died in custody.
- July 9–16, 2025: After weeks of searching and fearing the worst, Leon’s family learned through a relative in Chile that he had been hospitalized in Guatemala following his deportation, a country where he had no known ties.
- July 20, 2025: Multiple news outlets reported that ICE had secretly deported Leon despite his age, medical condition, and long-standing U.S. residency, sparking public outcry and renewed criticism of ICE practices.