Supporters of Texas Christian University student Luis Omar Andrade Garcia say a summer that was supposed to be about classes and fraternity life has instead turned into a frantic search for answers about where he is, and even what country he is in.
Lambda Theta Phi reports that Andrade, a 20-year-old double major and member of the fraternity’s Beta Pi chapter, was arrested in Arlington on June 27 and taken into local custody. The group says he was later removed from that custody and may have been deported to El Salvador. Friends and fraternity brothers say they have launched fundraising and phone-banking efforts to pressure authorities to bring him back to Texas. For now, Andrade’s exact whereabouts are unknown, and supporters say they are scrambling to secure legal help.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Tarrant County court records show Andrade was booked on June 27 in Arlington on charges of disorderly conduct and fleeing a police officer. The paper reports he joined the Beta Pi chapter in spring 2025 and is studying accounting and business information systems at TCU. The fraternity told the outlet he was detained at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center before being moved, and that supporters created a GoFundMe to help cover legal expenses.
Deportation To El Salvador Raises Alarm
Advocates say the possibility that Andrade has been removed to El Salvador is especially alarming in light of recent high-profile deportations to that country and mounting reports of harsh detention conditions with limited access to lawyers and family.
As reported by The Washington Post, some people deported to the CECOT prison in El Salvador have been held without regular access to legal counsel or contact with relatives. Human Rights Watch has also documented cases and warned that transfers to Salvadoran facilities have coincided with disappearances and alleged abuses.
Fraternity Mounts National Week Of Action
Lambda Theta Phi says it has organized a national week of action that includes phone banks and outreach to lawmakers, all aimed at securing Andrade’s return to Texas. The fraternity says members and allies across the country are making calls and sharing information, trying to push the case out of the shadows and into the offices of officials who might be able to intervene.
Per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Beta Pi chapter has asked that Andrade be brought back to the state and has urged witnesses or anyone with relevant information to come forward. The fraternity’s post announcing its campaign also links to a GoFundMe set up to cover legal and advocacy costs.
What Removal Means For Local Charges
Legal scholars and practitioners have long warned that immigration detention and removal can move on a separate track from local criminal cases, which can make it extremely difficult for defendants to resolve state charges or appear in court.
A recent analysis in the Columbia Law Review details how Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody can block access to criminal hearings and notes that unresolved criminal charges are sometimes cited in immigration proceedings as a reason to deny release. That feedback loop has fueled calls from advocates and some courts for clearer rules to protect a defendant’s right to a day in court.
For now, Andrade is absent from the TCU campus, and his supporters say they intend to keep pressing for information while raising money for legal representation. The circumstances of his removal remain murky, including who ordered it, whether federal immigration officials or another agency carried it out, and whether formal removal proceedings have been completed. Hoodline will monitor the case and update this story as credible information becomes available.
