Venezuelan Mayor Detained by ICE Fears Deportation

Carlos Roberto García, an exiled Venezuelan politician, faces threat of deportation after being detained by ICE in Ohio

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Carlos Roberto García, the former mayor of Mérida, Venezuela, fled to the United States in 2022 after being sentenced to 15 months in prison for not squelching anti-government protests. Now, nearly a decade after fleeing Venezuela, García has been detained by ICE in Cincinnati and faces the threat of deportation back to Venezuela, where he fears he will be imprisoned.

Why it matters

This case highlights the precarious situation facing thousands of Venezuelans seeking asylum in the U.S. as the Trump administration has escalated deportations of Venezuelans, even as the political landscape in Venezuela remains uncertain following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

The details

García, 42, had been living in the Cincinnati suburbs with his wife and two children, working delivery jobs to support his family. But during a routine check-in with ICE last month, he was suddenly detained and threatened with deportation. His lawyers are now rushing to block his deportation, arguing that he has no criminal record in the U.S. and has complied with all legal requirements to apply for asylum.

  • In 2017, García was one of several Venezuelan mayors sentenced to 15 months in prison for not squelching anti-government protests.
  • In 2022, García and his family fled Venezuela and crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, where they applied for asylum and obtained Temporary Protected Status.
  • On January 23, 2026, García was detained by ICE during a routine check-in appointment in Cincinnati.

The players

Carlos Roberto García

The former mayor of Mérida, Venezuela, who fled the country in 2017 and is now facing deportation from the U.S.

María Gabriela Duarte

García's wife, who fears her husband will be imprisoned if deported to Venezuela.

Nicolás Maduro

The president of Venezuela, whose regime cracked down on anti-government protests in 2017, leading to García's exile.

Marc Prokosch

García's lawyer, who has filed an emergency petition to release him from detention.

Department of Homeland Security

The agency that oversees ICE and has stated that Venezuelans can now "go home to a country that they love" following Maduro's removal.

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What they’re saying

“When he called me from jail, he told me, 'We never imagined that we would go through everything we went through, fleeing Venezuela so I wasn't detained, seeking protection, only to be detained in this country.''”

— María Gabriela Duarte, García's wife (The New York Times)

“What hurt me is that we fled as if we were criminals.”

— María Gabriela Duarte, García's wife (The New York Times)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow García to be released from detention and block his deportation to Venezuela.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges and uncertainty facing Venezuelan asylum seekers in the U.S., as the political situation in their home country remains volatile and the Trump administration continues to crack down on deportations, even as the interim Venezuelan government takes steps to ease political repression.