Federal immigration officials are rejecting reports that an 82-year-old Allentown man was deported to Guatemala, calling the story a “hoax.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a statement Monday refuting claims that Luis Leon was detained in Philadelphia in June while attempting to replace a lost green card and then deported. The agency said Leon, a Chilean national, has no record of deportation and only entered the U.S. once, in 2015, through the visa waiver program.
The confusion began when Leon’s family claimed they had been informed he died in ICE custody but later surfaced alive in a Guatemalan hospital suffering from pneumonia. Local reports amplified the story, sparking outrage in Allentown.
However, the Guatemalan government has denied any record of Leon entering the country, and the Guatemalan Institute of Migration confirmed it had not coordinated any deportation involving him. A Chilean news outlet also reported no hospital record of Leon at the facility where his family claimed he was staying.
The Associated Press reports that ICE initially declined comment when the story first broke, fueling speculation before issuing its denial. The agency says it has no knowledge of Leon’s current whereabouts.
The case highlights the tension between immigration enforcement and public trust, particularly in communities with large immigrant populations. ICE urged residents to seek verified information before circulating unconfirmed reports.
Source: The Keystone, Phila. Inquirer