A Michigan father held a valid green card for over two decades before immigration agents arrested him in April 2025. Six months later, he was deported to Mexico, separated from his two US citizen children despite no criminal record since his teenage years.
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Ten Agents Surround Man at Post Office
Claudio Cortez-Herrera, 34, was making a house payment at a drop box outside a Grand Rapids post office on April 23, 2025 when ten ICE agents surrounded him. His fiancée Leticia Ortiz Lopez watched as officers detained him without warning.
“He was putting in the house payment across the street at the drop box post office when he got surrounded by 10 ICE agents, and he was taken,” Lopez told WZZM13, a local Michigan news station.
Cortez-Herrera had lived in the United States since he was a teenager. He worked at Iron and Metal of Grand Rapids for over a decade, rising from forklift operator to floor manager. The couple has a two-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son with autism.
Teenage Conviction Resurfaces Two Decades Later
ICE confirmed the arrest on Facebook, citing convictions in New Castle, Delaware for planning first-degree arson and first-degree reckless endangering. According to Lopez, he served seven months on a racketeering charge more than 20 years ago as a teenager.
He completed his sentence and built a stable life in Michigan. His green card was renewed multiple times without immigration officials flagging him for removal.
Citizenship Application Preceded Arrest
Three months before his arrest, Cortez-Herrera applied through the Diocese of Grand Rapids to begin the naturalization process. Citizenship applications require FBI fingerprint checks that flag any criminal history to immigration authorities, regardless of age or whether green cards were previously renewed without issue.
NPR documented multiple cases in 2025 where green card holders with decades-old convictions were detained during international travel. The National Immigration Law Center warns that lawful permanent residents can be deported for past crimes even after years of successful green card renewals.
Family Left Without Answers
Lopez now raises their children alone while managing fibromyalgia and depression, and risks losing their home without his income.
Their son started therapy after his father’s arrest. The five-year-old tells counsellors his dad is “gone like Grandma,” referring to Lopez’s mother who died from kidney disease in 2024.
“Since he was taken, I’m afraid to even drive,” Lopez wrote on a GoFundMe campaign seeking $25,000 for legal fees. “I’m scared of being pulled over. ICE didn’t need a warrant for him. How do I know I won’t be next, even as a citizen?”
The fundraiser has collected $1,478 as of late 2025.
What Green Card Holders Should Know
Immigration lawyers advise lawful permanent residents with any criminal history, even from decades ago, to consult an attorney before:
- Applying for citizenship or naturalization
- Traveling outside the United States
- Attending scheduled ICE check-ins
Green card status does not guarantee protection from deportation. Crimes involving moral turpitude or aggravated felonies can trigger removal proceedings regardless of when they occurred. The NILC recommends consulting an immigration attorney before international travel if you have any criminal history.
Deported After Going Missing in System
On October 17, 2025, Cortez-Herrera disappeared from ICE tracking systems during a facility transfer. His family spent an entire day not knowing his location.
ICE deported him to Mexico that same day without his belongings, identification, or $600 in commissary funds. Lopez said attorneys took thousands knowing the case had little chance of success.
Broader Enforcement Pattern
Newsweek reported dozens of similar cases in 2025 where lawful permanent residents were detained during expanded immigration enforcement. The crackdown also swept up visa holders with valid documentation, including a New Zealand mother detained with her six-year-old son for 23 days over an expired travel document. The Office of Homeland Security Statistics estimated 12.8 million green card holders lived in the United States as of January 2024.
A US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told reporters in June 2025 that possessing a green card is “a privilege, not a right” and the government can revoke status when laws are broken.
Immigration courts face backlogs exceeding two million cases, with many detainees waiting months for hearings. Cases involving families affected by enforcement actions have increased throughout 2025, according to immigrant advocacy groups tracking detention patterns.
Cortez-Herrera remains in Mexico as of December 2025, separated from his children. His green card has been revoked. Lopez wrote in a November update that the family was misled by attorneys who took their savings, and that ICE refuses accountability for his lost belongings.
Cortez-Herrera’s detention follows a pattern NPR and immigration advocacy groups documented throughout 2025. Green card holders who committed crimes decades ago, served their sentences, and renewed their status multiple times now face deportation under policies immigration lawyers say prioritize removal over individual circumstances.
