Politics
DHS Secretary refutes Texas candidate's claim that ICE 'kidnapped' 5-year-old boy during deportation
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the child was deported at his father's request after candidate James Talarico criticized the detention.
The short version
- Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico accused ICE of 'kidnapping' 5-year-old Liam Tadeo, who was detained in Austin alongside his father, Victor Martinez Nieto.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin rejected the accusation, stating that the child was deported to remain with his father per the father's explicit request.
- Federal immigration policy allows parents facing deportation to either be removed alongside their minor children or designate a safe guardian in the U.S.
Key facts
- Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were detained in Austin, Texas, earlier this month and deported on Tuesday.[Fox News]
- Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico claimed on social media that ICE 'kidnapped' the child on his way to a soccer game and held him in a 'prison camp.'[Fox News]
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that ICE does not separate families and that the child was deported with his father at the father's request.[Fox News]
- The father and son were detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center prior to their deportation.[Fox News]
- Martinez Nieto was previously arrested by immigration enforcement in November 2025, deported in February, and later reentered the country illegally.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- The family's attorney has not publicly responded to requests for comment regarding the deportation and detention conditions.[Fox News]