Claim of ICE Deportation Turns Out to Be False

A widely circulated story alleging that a Pennsylvania grandfather was secretly detained and deported by ICE to Guatemala has been confirmed as a “hoax” by Homeland Security. It was also revealed that the man, Luis Leon, may have passed away six years ago.

Initially, Leon’s family reported that he was taken by federal officers during a green card appointment in Philadelphia on June 20. They claimed he later died in ICE custody, only for him to reappear alive at a hospital in Guatemala. Family members said they learned of his location through a relative in Chile, and that a woman claiming to be an immigration lawyer contacted them with news of his death, raising suspicions about her credibility.

However, Homeland Security stated that ICE had no record of Leon ever being arrested or deported, asserting that the story was false propaganda aimed at demonizing immigration agencies. An official from DHS emphasized that there is no evidence Leon even attended a green card appointment in the area on the date in question, further debunking the claims.

Leon was granted asylum in the U.S. in 1987 and worked in a leather factory for four decades before retiring. Despite this, ICE records only show his entry into the U.S. in 2015 through Chile under a visa waiver program.

Adding to the confusion, a death certificate matching Leon’s name and birth date was shown to a reporter, indicating he died in Santiago, Chile, in 2019. Despite this, the original story gained traction among various media outlets before being discredited by DHS officials, who criticized the rushed reporting without verification.

The family declined further comment and requested privacy as the misinformation was addressed and debunked.