(Image Credit: IMAGN) A migrant is transported to a migrant shelter after leaving the Guatemalan Migrant Reception Center after their deportation flight from the U.S. on Feb. 19, 2025.
Laguna Niguel, California – A Laguna Niguel family is reeling after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained and scheduled the deportation of Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez, a couple who have lived in the United States for 35 years. Despite having no criminal history, the couple was taken to a detention center in Louisiana, where they await deportation to Colombia, the country they left decades ago.
Their daughter, Stephanie Gonzalez, says the situation has been heartbreaking for their entire family, especially since her parents recently became grandparents. “It breaks my heart because my parents are good people and they don’t deserve this,” she said.
The couple was detained on February 21 during what was supposed to be a routine check-in with ICE. Now, they are expected to be deported by the end of the month.
While ICE confirmed that neither Nelson nor Gladys has a criminal record, the agency stated that they had violated immigration laws and are subject to a final order of removal.
Their sudden detainment has left their family scrambling for solutions. An online fundraiser has been launched to help support them once they arrive in Colombia, where they will have to rebuild their lives after spending more than three decades in the U.S.
The Gonzalez family’s situation is not unique. Their deportation is part of a broader immigration crackdown under former President Donald Trump’s administration, which vowed to focus on deporting individuals with criminal convictions or pending charges. However, new ICE data shows that nearly half of those detained have no criminal history—raising concerns about how enforcement priorities are being carried out.
For families like the Gonzalez’s, the consequences are life-altering. The couple spent most of their lives in the U.S., built a home, and raised their children here. Now, with just days left before they’re forced to leave, their loved ones are left with uncertainty and grief.
As the deadline for their deportation nears, Stephanie and others are holding onto hope that something can be done to keep them in the country they’ve called home for more than three decades.
