Paulino Martin San Pedro, 53, a longtime Beaverton father who was detained and deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has died in Mexico, his family says. They report that he was hospitalized shortly after his return and that pneumonia was the cause of death. Relatives traveled to Mexico this week to say their final goodbyes, and they are now planning a vigil in Beaverton while raising money to cover funeral and legal costs.
According to KPTV, Martin San Pedro was detained in November, deported within days and later hospitalized in Mexico before his death. His son, Eric Martin San Juan, told reporters, "They threw my dad out like an animal, and now I have no dad," squarely blaming ICE and federal officials for how quickly his father was removed from the country.
Timeline And Community Response
Family members say the ordeal began on Nov. 18, when agents approached Martin San Pedro's car on Allen Boulevard and took him into custody. He was then moved through a series of facilities before being sent to Mexico within days. As reported by The Spokesman-Review, the family says no court order was issued and that he was pressured to sign paperwork agreeing to leave.
News of his removal rippled quickly through the neighborhood, where friends and relatives began organizing and demanding answers. The rapid timeline and lack of clarity about what happened to him have become a flash point for local immigration advocates and concerned residents.
Legal Questions And The Family's Fight
The circumstances around his detention and deportation have prompted fresh questions about due process and the pace of recent removals in the Portland region. The family says it has retained an attorney to review what happened and explore possible legal options.
Neighbors and advocates rallied at Southridge High School to call for protections for local families and more transparency from federal officials, OPB reported. Speakers at the gathering pressed officials to explain why the case moved so quickly and how similar situations could be prevented.
Fundraiser And Final Goodbyes
The family's GoFundMe campaign shows roughly $41,835 raised of a $70,000 goal to cover funeral, travel and related expenses as of this writing. The organizer writes that the family is now preparing to say goodbye in Mexico and notes Nov. 18, 2025 as the date their crisis began.
Supporters have been sharing the fundraiser widely, saying they want to help cover immediate costs while the family tries to navigate both grief and a complicated legal situation.
What Officials Say
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for confirmation about the detention and removal in earlier reporting, and the family says it received no timely notification when Martin San Pedro was moved. KPTV reported in November that DHS did not answer requests for comment at that stage either.
As the family prepares for a vigil and continues to speak out, friends and neighbors in Beaverton are left mourning a father they say should never have been rushed out of the country in the first place, while they keep pressing local leaders and federal officials for clearer answers about how immigration enforcement is playing out in their community.
