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2mo ago

5-Year-Old Deported to Mexico With Father After ICE Detention in Austin

The Aug. 25 removal, which the family’s attorney says prevented the child’s release to his mother and left them without U.S. help, has sharpened calls for oversight of the Dilley family detention center.

{p}A 5-year-old boy and his father, who were detained by immigration authorities in Austin earlier this month, have been deported to Mexico and reunited with relatives, according to the family's attorney.{/p}
Five-year-old boy seen crying in viral Texas ICE video deported to Mexico with his father
{p}A 5-year-old boy and his father, who were detained by immigration authorities in Austin earlier this month, have been deported to Mexico and reunited with relatives, according to the family's attorney.{/p}
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Overview

  • The boy, Liam Tadeo, and his father, Victor Martinez Nieto, were taken into ICE custody during a vehicle stop in Austin on Aug. 16 and held at the Dilley immigration processing center in South Texas.
  • An ICE spokesperson and the family’s attorney confirmed that the pair were deported to Mexico on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with the agency saying the father accepted voluntary departure to leave with his son.
  • The family’s lawyer says Martinez Nieto begged officers to release Liam to his mother, that ICE refused that request, and that the pair received no U.S. government assistance after arrival in Mexico.
  • DHS and ICE say parents may choose to leave with their children or designate a 'safe person' to care for them, and the agency defended Dilley as a family facility with classrooms and services.
  • Lawmakers and advocates have renewed demands for inspections or closure of Dilley, which reopened in 2025 under private contractor CoreCivic and has faced prior complaints about conditions and oversight.