Venezuelan man detained by ICE recounts ordeal of panic attacks and 11kg weight loss

Anthony González, a 35-year-old Venezuelan, endured two months of detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a period marked by severe anxiety and a significant weight loss of approximately 11 kilograms. He described experiencing panic attacks, stemming from the uncertainty of his family's future, as he was the sole provider.

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I felt very happy, extremely joyful. I called my wife and told her right away that I was going to be released, thank God. I was released through a habeas corpus.

González was eventually released through a writ of habeas corpus, a legal recourse that challenges unlawful detention. He expressed immense joy upon learning of his impending freedom, immediately calling his wife, Jenny Gutiérrez. He now benefits from a one-year parole, which mandates his immediate release if he is ever detained by ICE again.

Before their asylum in the United States, González and his wife worked as nurses in Venezuela. However, they fled the country due to persecution by the Chavista government. His wife, Gutiérrez, shared her relief and gratitude for his return, recounting his call announcing his release.

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Inside, I suffered a lot of anxiety not knowing how my family would fare with me detained, because I was the head of the family. I suffered panic attacks.

The article notes a broader trend of increased ICE detentions impacting the Venezuelan diaspora since Donald Trump's return to the White House. This includes intensified raids and highway checkpoints, affecting even those with humanitarian parole or CBP One appointments. Federal courts have recently upheld expedited deportation orders for some migrants.

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I give immense thanks to God, first and foremost, for my husband's freedom. He called me at 1:30 and told me 'Jenny, I'm leaving.' 'Where are you going, my love?' And he told me, 'I'm going home, they released me with the habeas corpus.'