On Feb. 18, 35-year-old Juan Chavez Velasco, a longtime Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient from Weslaco, was detained by immigration agents while he was on his way to deliver expressed breastmilk to his newborn daughter's neonatal intensive care unit. His wife, Stephanie Villarreal, was left at home with their other children, while the couple's days-old baby remained hospitalized. Relatives say the arrest came without warning and that the family is now scrambling to line up legal help.
According to Spectrum News, Velasco has been protected under DACA since 2012, and he and Villarreal welcomed their third child in February. The outlet notes that he was carrying milk for the NICU when agents took him into custody, a moment now frozen in a family photo shared with the station.
Family Timeline And Response
The Daily Beast reports that agents stopped Velasco near his Weslaco home and transferred him to the Webb County Detention Center in Laredo. The outlet states that he submitted his DACA renewal application in November, but his existing protection expired on March 10 while he was already in custody. “I never got to hold her,” Velasco told the outlet about his newborn, while his attorney, Jodi Goodwin, said they are seeking congressional assistance and exploring every legal avenue to keep him with his family.
DACA's Limits And Renewal Timing
According to USCIS, DACA provides deferred action from removal and eligibility for work authorization, but “does not confer lawful immigration status.” USCIS guidance urges recipients to file renewals well ahead of expiration to avoid any lapse in protection. Advocates and attorneys say slow processing and shifting policies have still left some DACA holders exposed while their applications sit pending.
Legal Options And What Comes Next
Velasco's legal team says it is seeking a stay of removal and leaning on congressional offices while pursuing other strategies to secure his release. The Daily Beast reports that a DHS spokesperson said Velasco “was issued a final order of removal in 2005,” a detail that now hangs over any future proceedings. In the near term, the case turns on whether USCIS acts on his pending renewal and whether ICE will hold off on moving forward with deportation.
Broader Enforcement Backdrop
Advocates say the arrest reflects a wider pattern of enforcement actions involving some DACA recipients. Spectrum News reported late last year that dozens of people with DACA had been detained or caught up in enforcement amid shifting priorities and lengthier renewal waits, a trend legal organizations have criticized. Local organizers in the Rio Grande Valley say cases like Velasco's deepen fear in mixed-status families and make the already daunting task of caring for a hospitalized infant even harder.
Velasco's relatives and attorneys say they plan to keep pushing for his release while trying to care for his newborn and the couple's other children. We will update this story as lawyers, USCIS and ICE respond.
