Houston police detained Guadalupe Perdomo after her car caught fire, causing fears of deportation despite her ongoing visa process.
HOUSTON — A woman whose car caught fire on her way to work says that instead of receiving help, Houston police detained her and told her she would be deported.
She said this happened despite her having no criminal record and being in the process of securing a visa as a crime victim.
Guadalupe Perdomo was driving along U.S. 59 near downtown Houston when she noticed smoke coming from her car. She was able to get out safely before the car went up in flames.
A bystander called the police. When they got there, Perdomo said officers took her driver’s license and insurance and then handcuffed her in the back of a patrol car.
She said they told her she was going to be deported and handed over to ICE.
Perdomo feared the worst.
“Imagínese en mi situación. Mi carro se estaba encendiéndose y luego llegaron ellos y ponerme esposas se siente mal y raro. Uno no es ningún criminal. Uno va a trabajar día a día,” Perdomo said.
Her record showed an order of deportation, but her attorney said that was a mistake.
“They called ICE and then ICE clarified she did not have an order of deportation after she was detained after 1 hour after she was detained,” Attorney Naimeh Salem said.
In a statement, the Houston Police Department confirmed the incident, stating, “While HPD officers do not ask about immigration status, they are required to contact the issuing agency when they encounter a person with a warrant. After verifying the warrant with ICE, the officer detains the individual and transfers custody to an ICE agent.”
Houston Police Officers Union President Douglas Griffith confirmed this. Griffith said it’s something officers haven’t done in many years with ICE.
“We don’t have the resources or manpower to go and look for someone with an ICE detainer. We don’t have the ability,” Griffith said. “If we stumble on them and make an arrest for something, we are forced to contact ICE and they have the ability to pick them up if they want.”
Many people feel this might isolate the immigrant community in the area, but Griffith said he hopes people still come forward and report a crime.
Perdomo, who came to the U.S. seeking asylum during President Trump’s first term, said she fled domestic violence in her home country after her husband nearly beat her to death.
While in the U.S., she was attacked and robbed at gunpoint — an event that allowed her to apply for a U visa.
She is still in the process of securing that visa.