Relatives said Victor Manuel was waiting for a ride to work when ICE stopped him and asked where a neighbor lived. They then asked whether he had documentation.
AURORA, Colorado — Last Monday, Victor Manuel was waiting for a ride to head to his landscaping job. When his ride arrived, Victor was nowhere to be found, which was out of character for someone who was always hardworking.
When relatives were first notified, they thought perhaps he had overslept or was taking longer to get ready for work.
“He stepped out. He was just waiting for his ride,” Roxana said. “That’s when ICE agents surrounded him, and they asked him for an individual that lives on that block. He said, ‘I’m not that person, but you can find him down the street.’ And they said, ‘What’s your name?’ He gave them his name. They asked for his documentation, and he just stayed silent.”
When they finally reviewed doorbell video and spoke with neighbors, they learned that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained him.
The family said, according to Victor, ICE agents were looking for a different person and had obtained a warrant.
“It was just devastating because you can see, he was in his work clothes, and his head was just down, and they were putting handcuffs on him,” Roxana said. “His lunchbox was just left on the driveway, you know. He was ready for another day at work and just to go and see that empty lunchbox on the driveway, that’s what really hit us.”
Relatives said he arrived in the United States during the pandemic and had been in the Denver metro area for about five years. He worked as a landscaper, helping to put his children through school along with helping his parents, who have medical needs.
According to Colorado judicial records, Victor Manuel pleaded guilty to DUI on Jan. 24, 2025. Court records indicate the federal government and state judicial spelled his last name two different ways which led 9NEWS to the incorrect conclusion that he had no criminal record. In addition, 9NEWS reached out to a spokesperson for ICE at 10:56 a.m. Tuesday seeking information on any criminal history. That response went unanswered until 2:42 p.m. Wednesday, when ICE posted on X that the man did have a criminal history.
“They are obviously not just targeting criminals,” Roxana said. “At this point, they are just trying to get as many people as they can, and it’s quite scary and devastating because these people are going off to work or taking random walks, and then they are stopped by ICE agents. They are just still targeting us, even though they said we want to go after specific people.”
Roxana has been having regular phone calls with her uncle and finally visited him for the first time over the weekend at the ICE detention facility. Roxana said Victor shared that on the drive to detention, the ICE agent who detained him said he was just “wrong time, wrong place,” and his fate would “just be up to the judge if he decides whether he stays or not.”
“Having to see somebody through a glass window, and all you can do is the phone call that they have there,” Roxana said. “They have like a pay phone there. You see them through a glass wall, and you hear them through a phone. You can’t even have physical touch, so it’s heartbreaking.”
Their family expects Victor will have his first court hearing in the next few weeks. Over the weekend, Victor’s family went to his apartment and gathered his most important belongings, unsure of when or if he will return home. They have put some of his belongings into storage while they wait to learn more about his case.
“It’s hard, especially his tools,” Roxana said. “You know, he had more tools than anything, and he could just tell that he was just dedicated to his job. You’re grieving somebody that’s still here, so it’s just kind of surreal to do all of this, and the person is still with you but they’re not physically here.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct information on Victor Manuel’s criminal history.