SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is calling for the immediate release of a San Antonio father who he said has been held in an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility since April.
Castro released a statement Wednesday ahead of a planned congressional oversight visit to the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center, southeast of San Antonio, where he said he will meet with Octavio Daniel Cabrera Valdez.
Recommended Videos
Cabrera Valdez, 36, was arrested by the Stockdale Marshal’s Office on April 16, according to an ICE spokesperson. The marshal’s office requested assistance from immigration officers, and was taken into ICE custody.
Castro said Cabrera Valdez was at work when he was detained, had a valid work permit and was the sole provider for his family.
Cabrera Valdez appeared before an immigration judge on May 4, the ICE spokesperson said, and his bond was denied because he was “considered a flight risk.”
Because of the detention, Castro said Cabrera Valdez’s partner, 8-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter were forced out of their apartment.
Cabrera Valdez also provided care for his mother, who had an amputation following a car crash, Castro said, along with his father, who is seriously ill with diabetes.
His parents and other family members are U.S. citizens, Castro said.
“Octavio Daniel Cabrera Valdez was building a life for his family in San Antonio,” Castro said. “He was working and contributing to his community. ICE is going after members of our communities, like Octavio, and tearing families apart in the process.”
KSAT has reached out to the Stockdale Marshal’s Office for additional details regarding Valdez’s arrest.
Read also: