Ask HN: Why did ICE deport my coworker? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why did ICE deport my coworker?

18 pointsRyanShook8 comments

My coworker in Houston is from El Salvador and has been in the US legally under temporary protected status for roughly 20 years. He had all his paperwork in order and had renewed his temporary protected status at the proper times. He also has children born in the US.

Three weeks ago he was stopped at random by ICE while driving in his truck. He was immediately detained outside Houston then taken to detention at the border a few days later. He hired an immigration lawyer while in detention two weeks ago was deported today before anything regarding his case could be heard.

View on HN

If you're not a US citizen, you're fair game, this administration and the federal agencies in question do not respect temporary protected status.

(and even in the case of being a citizen, denaturalization is being threatened, even though illegal)

> If you're not a US citizen, you're fair game

US citizens detained or released from ICE detention in the last week:

Twin Cities area (Robbinsdale), Thursday morning: https://www.startribune.com/us-citizen-arrested-ice-day-afte...

Twin Cities area (Richfield), Thursday afternoon: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/pattern-emerging-o...

Minneapolis, Thursday morning: https://sahanjournal.com/education/border-patrol-detains-min...

Twin Cities area (Brooklyn Park), Monday: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/us-citizen-ice-encoun...

Baltimore: https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-ice-detentio...

Salisbury, NC: https://www.qcnews.com/news/u-s/north-carolina/rowan-county/...

On a Carnival cruise ship docked in Miami: https://www.azfamily.com/2026/01/07/phoenix-veteran-says-ice...

----

ProPublica report on 170 citizen detentions as of October: https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-...

WaPo report on citizen detentions ("DHS ... has not provided any figures") in December: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/12/07/trump-...

Even US citizens are fair game if they're not rich/popular enough. Renee Nicole Good's family will discover that no Bivens nor 1983 civil claims will be possible because federal agents essentially have absolute immunity. Michigan state is acting in a performative manner to assuage emotions when nothing will happen as they lack jurisdiction. That is a problem only Congress can solve, but won't because they're beholden to the same rich assholes as Clarence Thomas takes vacations and other bribes from.

Have you been hibernating since january 2025 ? You're living in a dictatorship now, that's why.

Your question is essentially "X was in the USA legally, so why was X deported for being in the USA illegally?"

Answer1: Your assumption is incorrect: X was in the USA illegally.

Answer2: You're astroturfing, you have no "friend" and this is a fake post.

Plenty of other answers.

My point is, other than politicking, why post this on HN? HN is not an appropriate forum for such questions.

I hope his family is OK. Suddenly losing a father and a financial source is panicking.

It's because the feds are working hard to replace the rule of law with tyranny.

You need to read up on fascism.

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