Pascual Andres, a 45-year-old undocumented immigrant from Guatemala and father of two active-duty U.S. Marines, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a minor car accident on August 16 in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to The Palm Beach Post on Friday.
His daughters say the situation is “not really fair” given their service to the country while their father faces deportation.
Newsweek reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email on Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
Andres’ arrest is part of President Donald Trump‘s nationwide immigration crackdown, enforced by the 287(g) agreements Governor Ron DeSantis required all Florida police agencies to sign. The agreements deputize state and local law enforcement as federal immigration agents, allowing officers to arrest people they suspect of being in the country illegally during daily patrols.
The administration is enacting plans to carry out what it describes as mass deportations and maintains that anyone living in the country unlawfully is a criminal. The undocumented immigrant population in the U.S. reached 14 million in 2023, the highest level on record, according to a new estimate from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.
Immigrants residing in the country both illegally and legally, with valid documentation such as green cards and visas, as well as those with criminal histories, have been detained. Many with past convictions, even from decades ago, have found themselves in ICE custody despite spending years without facing serious immigration problems.
Some U.S. citizens and those with valid visas have reportedly been swept up in immigration efforts as well.
What To Know
Andres was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) deputies who responded to a fender bender where another driver hit his vehicle from behind, according to his attorney Miriam Acosta.
Despite having no criminal record, Andres was first held at the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility in the Florida Everglades before being transferred to the Krome Detention Center in Miami, according to ICE database documentation reviewed by Newsweek.
The remote detention facility is expected to cost Florida approximately $450 million annually to operate.
Andres’ daughters, Yulisa, 22, and Yeniffer, 20, are U.S. Marines stationed in California, while their brother plans to enlist in the Air Force next May after his high school graduation, according to The Palm Beach Post. Yulisa and Yeniffer grew up in Boynton Beach and are now serving their country while their father remains detained.
Andres was 12 years old when his father brought him to the U.S. where he has now lived most of his life, according to the outlet. Ever since his arrival, Andres has worked as a day laborer to help his relatives back home and provide for his family in Boynton Beach. The family had already begun paperwork to obtain his citizenship a month before his arrest.
Attorney Acosta confirmed that the arrest took place on Friday, August 16, but said she has not found any records for an incident or arrest reports by FHP or any documentation related to the charges for which Andres is being held.
“He was just detained and taken there [Alligator Alcatraz],” Acosta said. “And I have not been able to get any information on the basis for the detention.”
The Andres family is one of hundreds of mixed-status families that have been affected by Trump’s immigration crackdown. Mixed-status families are those in which one or more relatives have clear status in the U.S. while others do not. Yulisa, Yeniffer and their two younger siblings are all U.S. citizens.
What People Are Saying
Andres’ daughter Yulisa and U.S. Marine told The Palm Bach Post: “It hurts me a lot. Because you’re serving this country and we’re out there doing our job for people to have freedom but, then again, you have this going on.”
Yulisa on her father’s detainment: “We talk about it and it’s not really fair. They know that we’re serving this country. It’s a really rough topic.”
Andres’ immigration attorney Miriam Acosta told The Palm Beach Post: “Especially for someone raising girls that have chosen to protect this country.”
Pascual Andres (to his daughter from detention): “Don’t worry too crazy about me. I’ll be okay.”
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a previous statement shared with Newsweek: “Under Secretary Noem, we are delivering on President Trump’s and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens to make America safe. Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst and carry out the largest deportation operation of criminal aliens in American history.”
What Happens Next?
Andres’ next court hearing is scheduled for August 27, where Acosta will request his release on bond, according to The Palm Beach Post. Yulisa and Yeniffer will wear their military uniforms as they address the judge remotely from California during the online hearing while their mother and two siblings speak from their Boynton Beach home.
The sisters have also applied for “parole in place,” which allows military members to request permanent residency status documents for direct family members.
The post ICE Detains Dad of Two US Marines at Alligator Alcatraz—’Not Really Fair’ appeared first on Newsweek.
