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A Venezuelan family says they lost their home, jobs and belongings after being detained for two months by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Adriana Laya and Miguel Alberto Caicedo told ABC News they are now living in their car with their two children after returning from detention to find their apartment in Las Cruces, New Mexico, gone.
Home and Belongings Lost
The family said they were detained during a routine ICE check-in and sent to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
When they were released two months later and returned home, they claim they had been evicted and lost nearly everything, including their savings and their pet dog.
“My kids started crying over their pet, their clothes, their bed,” Laya said.
Adriana Laya
Building a Life Before Detention
The couple said they entered the U.S. in 2024 and were allowed to pursue an asylum claim. While living in New Mexico, Caicedo worked as a delivery driver and Laya cleaned hotels while their children attended school.
Allegations About Detention Conditions
The family said conditions at the Dilley facility were difficult, claiming the water was undrinkable and that their son did not receive proper medical attention when he became sick.
The Department of Homeland Security has previously said detainees receive proper care and medical access.
Starting Over
After their release in February, the family says they are now trying to rebuild their lives. Caicedo recently began working as a DoorDash driver, while the couple sleeps in their car and their children sometimes stay with a family friend.
“We have to start from zero,” Caicedo said. “But we keep going for our kids.”
For more on Trump’s anti-immigration enforcement and its effects, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.