An 82-year-old man from Pennsylvania was secretly deported to Guatemala after visiting an immigration office to replace his lost green card, according to his family. The family was initially told he had died but later found out he was alive and hospitalized in Guatemala.
Luis Leon, a longtime resident of Allentown, was granted political asylum in the United States in 1987 after suffering torture under Chile’s former dictator Augusto Pinochet. He lost his wallet containing his green card and went with his wife to an immigration office on June 20 to request a replacement.
According to Leon’s wife, when he arrived at the office, two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers handcuffed him and took him away without any explanation. She was detained at the office for 10 hours until relatives came to pick her up.
The family tried to find out where Leon was but received no information. Later, a woman claiming to be an immigration lawyer contacted the family but did not say how she knew about the case or Leon’s location.
On July 9, the woman called again and told the family that Leon had died. However, a week later, a relative in Chile informed them that Leon was actually alive but in a hospital in Guatemala—a country with which he has no connection.
Reports say Leon was first held at an immigration detention center in Minnesota before being deported to Guatemala. His name does not appear on ICE’s public deportation lists.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allows the government to deport immigrants to countries other than their country of origin.
Leon spent nearly 40 years in the U.S., working in a leather manufacturing plant and raising a family. He had retired before his deportation. The family said he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and a heart condition. They plan to travel to Guatemala to see him.
An ICE official told the Morning Call that the agency is investigating the situation.
