A 66-year-old Venezuelan man who has lived legally in the United States for over a decade is now detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida, sparking fears for his health and future. Ricardo Páez, a resident of Pembroke Pines, was taken into custody on Halloween and transferred to the Krome Detention Center, a former military base turned immigration facility near the Everglades. He remains there despite a heart condition that required hospitalisation.
Páez entered the US legally on a 10-year visa in 2012 with his wife, fleeing political persecution in Venezuela. He was granted withholding of removal in 2014 after an immigration judge ruled it unsafe for him to return. This status allows him to live and work in the US but requires annual check-ins with ICE and offers no path to permanent residency. Under the Trump administration, however, the government has increasingly targeted individuals with this protection for removal, often seeking third countries for deportation.
His wife, who asked not to be named, told The Independent: 'We have 40 years of marriage. If something happens to his health, or if he is deported to I don’t know what country — I feel so terrified.' She described Páez as a former construction firm owner and political activist against Hugo Chávez, who was once kidnapped due to his anti-government links. The couple adopted a dog named Millie and built a quiet life, with Páez working as an operations manager.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said: 'We are applying the law as written. If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.' ICE did not respond to questions about Páez's medical condition. Immigration experts note that while withholding of removal is a high legal standard to meet, it does not prevent deportation to a third country, a practice now being pursued more aggressively.
