Venezuelan Father Deported from Texas to Liberia in Unprecedented ICE Move
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A 35-year-old Venezuelan man, who resided in Texas for several years, has been deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Liberia, West Africa,...
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A 35-year-old Venezuelan man, who resided in Texas for several years, has been deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Liberia, West Africa, leaving him thousands of miles away from his wife and 5-month-old American son.
Carlos Tellez Sanchez, who had never heard of Liberia until his deportation, was informed of his destination just hours before his flight. He endured a 15-hour flight in handcuffs and is now stranded in a remote part of the West African nation.
Tellez Sanchez spends most of his time in a hotel over an hour from Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, alongside deportees from various countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Honduras.
President Trump’s stringent immigration policies have led to a surge in ICE arrests this summer. Increasingly, detainees are being deported to countries other than their own, often to distant and unfamiliar locations. Tellez Sanchez, who entered the U.S. illegally five years ago, is among those affected.
In December 2025, Tellez Sanchez was detained by ICE during an expected routine immigration appointment. He spent eight months in ICE detention centers before being deported to Africa.
An immigration judge granted Tellez Sanchez protection from deportation to Venezuela in 2021, citing potential persecution. However, this did not prevent ICE from deporting him to another country.
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The Trump administration has negotiated “third country” deportation agreements with numerous nations, including some considered dangerous, such as South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Juan Tellez, Carlos’ brother in Dallas, expressed confusion over the deportation to Liberia, stating that no explanation was provided. He described his brother as a hardworking and decent individual who “does not deserve what happened to him.”
In Liberia, Tellez Sanchez faces an uncertain future with no clear plan. “it is a very difficult situation,” he said, “one that I do not wish on anybody.”
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
