Former Venezuelan Mayor Detained by ICE, Faces Potential Deportation to Ecuador
Hamilton, Ohio – Former Venezuelan mayor Carlos García, 42, is fighting to avoid deportation from the United States. He was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on January 23rd while attending a routine immigration appointment with his wife at a detention center in Butler County, Ohio, where they reside with their children. His wife was processed without issue, but García was taken into custody despite a pending asylum application and evidence supporting his claim as a political refugee.
García’s lawyers have filed a writ of habeas corpus in immigration court seeking his release, but a hearing on February 10th revealed that the Department of Homeland Security is pursuing his deportation to Ecuador. This is particularly concerning, according to his wife, Gabriela Duarte, as García has no ties to Ecuador – no family, home, or support network – and has never sought protection there. “Carlos has no family, casa, ni ningún tipo de apoyo en ese país [Carlos has no family, home, or any kind of support in that country],” Duarte stated, emphasizing their desire for him to be allowed to continue his asylum case in the U.S., where it was originally filed.
The situation represents a significant setback for García, who fled Venezuela after being removed from his position as mayor of Mérida in 2017 by the Supreme Court, controlled by the Chavista regime. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 months in prison, accused of inaction during protests against the Maduro government. A graduate of the University of Los Andes and a member of the Primero Justicia opposition party, García initially sought refuge in Colombia, where his two children were born, before relocating to the United States five years later.
Upon arriving in the U.S. On February 1, 2022, García and his family sought political asylum and were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a benefit that has since been eliminated by the Trump administration. They believed the U.S. Would offer them the safety they could not find in Venezuela. “Over there we are going to feel safe, well, we will be safe in the United States,” Duarte recalled saying to her family as they made the difficult decision to leave their homeland.
Duarte fears a return to Venezuela, now under the leadership of Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy, would put García’s freedom and life at risk, as well as the safety of their family. “A deportation would put at risk his freedom and his life, as well as the life of our family,” she stated in an appeal video shared on Instagram following his detention.
The timing of García’s detention is particularly alarming given recent political developments in Venezuela. The recent arrest of fellow opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa has raised concerns among Venezuelan exiles about the lack of conditions for a safe return to the country. A recently approved amnesty law has been widely criticized by families of political prisoners and human rights advocates for failing to provide adequate reparations or guarantees against future persecution.
García continued his political and social activism while living in the U.S., working as a delivery driver for companies like Amazon, DoorDash, and Uber to support his family. He had previously participated in a U.S. State Department program for young regional leaders focused on democracy and transparency in 2011. The irony, according to those familiar with his case, is that the same country that once welcomed him for his commitment to democratic values is now seeking to deport him.
Ramón Guillermo Aveledo, a former executive secretary of the Democratic Unity Roundtable, expressed his disbelief at García’s detention, calling him a “young promise” for Venezuela and describing the ICE action as “incomprehensible and unjust.”
Deportees with prior convictions face legal scrutiny upon arrival in Venezuela. García, with a pending case, would likely be immediately incarcerated upon landing at the Caracas International Airport.
