An 82-year-old grandfather, Luis Leon, lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years after fleeing torture in Chile. He raised a family, worked hard, and held a green card with no criminal record. All he did was go to a routine appointment to replace his lost card—and ICE detained him, deported him to Guatemala, and left his family in the dark. For weeks, they didn’t even know if he was alive. They were told he had died. Now he’s in a hospital alone in a country he’s never lived in. This is heartbreakin

Luis Leon, an 82-year-old Chilean grandfather who lived in the U.S. For nearly 40 years with a green card and no criminal record, was detained by ICE after attempting to replace his lost green card, deported to Guatemala, a country he had never lived in, and his family was left uninformed for weeks, initially believing he had died.

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified July 20, 2025

Multiple reputable news outlets report that Luis Leon was detained by ICE after going to replace his lost green card and was deported to Guatemala despite having no criminal record or prior residence there. His family was left uninformed for weeks and mistakenly told he had died before learning he was alive and hospitalized.mediaite.com thedailybeast.com independent.co.uk

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

The claim involves several factual components: Luis Leon's age and background as a Chilean national who lived in the U.S. For decades; his lawful permanent resident status (green card holder) without a criminal record; his detention by ICE during a routine appointment to replace a lost green card; his subsequent deportation to Guatemala, a country where he had no prior residence; and the distress caused to his family due to lack of information, including being falsely told he had died.

Multiple independent news sources confirm these elements. Mediaite reports that on June 20, 2023, Leon went to a Philadelphia immigration office with his wife to replace his lost green card and was detained by ICE.mediaite.com The Daily Beast and The Independent corroborate that he was secretly deported to Guatemala and that his family was initially misinformed about his status, even being told he had died.thedailybeast.com independent.co.uk

The Independent further confirms that Leon was moved from a detention facility in Minnesota to Guatemala and is now hospitalized there.independent.co.uk There is no evidence contradicting these facts.

However, some details such as the exact reasons ICE chose Guatemala for deportation despite Leon’s Chilean origin are not fully explained in the sources. Also, while the family’s emotional distress is reported, the claim that this situation is 'heartbreaking' is subjective and not fact-checked. Overall, the core factual assertions about detention, deportation, family misinformation, and hospitalization are well supported.

Primary trail