Federal immigration agents in Pennsylvania arrested a grandfather who had assisted police in investigating his daughter’s killing, according to a new report.
Last February, Erasmo Zavala Almanza — a Mexican national living in Reading — faced a profound loss. His 20-year-old daughter was fatally shot, and her newborn baby critically injured by the child’s father, who then took his own life.
As Almanza cared for the recovering, orphaned infant, he cooperated with authorities in the homicide investigation, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. His assistance qualified him to seek a U visa, which offers a path to legal residency for undocumented immigrants who aid law enforcement.
Despite offering up his help and following through with the visa application, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at his home last month and took him into custody. Almanza, 50, is now being held at a detention facility in Clearfield County as he awaits possible deportation to Mexico.
His case reflects a broader shift in ICE policy under President Donald Trump, including the rollback of prior guidance that discouraged detaining crime victims or key witnesses.
The Independent has contacted ICE and DHS for comment.
Almanza said in legal filings that he and his wife entered the U.S. illegally in 2004, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. They eventually settled in the Keystone State, where he found work in landscaping and roofing and maintained a clean criminal record. The couple later had two daughters.
In 2010, an immigration judge granted them voluntary departure, allowing them to leave the country without formal deportation or penalties. Court records show that Almanza overstayed that deadline by upwards of one year before returning to Mexico. He reentered the U.S. in 2015 or 2016, and his wife followed later.
Tragedy struck on February 17, 2025. Responding to reports of gunfire, Reading police arrived at a Locust Street home and found the couple’s 20-year-old daughter, Selena Zavala Hernandez, dead. Her newborn daughter, Selene, had been shot in the abdomen. Authorities identified the gunman as Jesus Peñaloza Cruz, who then turned the weapon on himself.
The injured newborn survived due to “extraordinary efforts” by law enforcement, who quickly transported her for “life-saving surgery,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, citing legal documents.
She spent months hospitalized, undergoing surgery and recovery, while Almanza traveled back and forth from work to remain by her side. He and his wife later obtained legal guardianship of their granddaughter.
While this was going on, Almanza cooperated with police in their homicide investigation. “When the police needed information, [Erasmo] was always there to give them the information they were seeking,” his wife told Spotlight PA.
In recognition of that cooperation, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office signed off on U visa applications for both Almanza and his wife.
Created in 2000, the U visa program aims “to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other crimes,” while also protecting victims, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Only 10,000 visas are doled out annually, often resulting in long wait times.
Three months after applying, Almanza was arrested at his home by ICE agents, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. He now faces deportation proceedings, with federal officials maintaining that Almanza is subject to a final order of removal — a claim his attorneys dispute.
ICE agents had previously been instructed to take a “victim-centered approach,” avoiding the arrest of known victims or witnesses in high-profile cases. However, after Trump returned to office in 2025 — pledging the largest deportation effort in U.S. history — the agency adopted new guidelines that no longer discourage such arrests.
Critics argue the shift could deter immigrants from cooperating with law enforcement.
“It’s absolutely atrocious,” Bridget Cambria, Almanza’s attorney, told the outlet. “An immigrant has no incentive to cooperate if they’re going to go to your house after you file [for a visa] and pick you up.”
The Trump administration maintains it is enforcing existing law.
“If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period,” Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, previously told The Independent.
Recent polling indicates that many Americans have concerns about Trump’s immigration crackdown. In a Pew Research Center survey released earlier this month, 58 percent of respondents said they are not confident Trump can make good decisions about immigration policy, while 41 percent said they are confident.
