Outcry After ICE Secretly Deports 82-Year-Old PA Grandfather to Guatemala
Outcry After ICE Secretly Deports 82-Year-Old PA Grandfather to Guatemala
An 82-year-old Pennsylvania grandfather, Luis Leon, was secretly deported to Guatemala by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after misplacing his green card, sparking outrage and a desperate search by his family. His relatives only discovered his whereabouts “this week” after weeks of fearing the worst, including a false report of his death.
Leon, a Chilean national from Allentown, was detained by ICE on June 20, 2025, after he and his wife visited the Philadelphia immigration office to replace his lost green card. Family members reported that he was handcuffed and taken away without explanation, leading to a frantic search involving calls to immigration offices, hospitals, and even morgues.
The family’s distress deepened on July 9, 2025, when a caller falsely claimed Leon had died. However, their fears were relieved “this week” upon learning he had been moved from a Minnesota detention facility to Guatemala, where he is now hospitalized in Guatemala City.
Luis Leon, who suffers from multiple health conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure, was granted political asylum in 1987 after surviving Augusto Pinochet’s regime and has a clean record. His granddaughter, Nataly, plans to travel to Guatemala to see him and intends to highlight his experience to expose the treatment within the immigration system.
The reason for his deportation to Guatemala, a country he has never called home, remains unclear, though it follows a recent Supreme Court decision leaving the door open for such actions. This case underscores broader concerns, as figures show over 56,800 people are currently in ICE detention, with 72 percent lacking criminal convictions.
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