Colombian congresswoman cheered ICE raids, cries after her son is taken. (Photo by U.S. Democratic Socialists / Facebook - Angela Vergara / Instagram)
A Colombian congresswoman is speaking out emotionally after her son was detained by ICE in the United States, claiming he has been held for more than two weeks in what she described as harsh and degrading conditions.
Ángela Vergara, a politician from Colombia, appeared in a video shared with tears visible on her cheeks as she announced that her son had been taken by federal officers. The clip quickly spread online, drawing attention not only because of her public position, but also because of the serious accusations she made about how detainees are being treated.
The Congresswoman reportedly said last Friday that her son, Rafael Alfonso Vergara, has been detained for 18 days by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) in “inhumane conditions”.
In her video statement, Vergara described her son as someone with no criminal record and said his detention has left him stuck in limbo, unable to return home and in urgent need of government intervention.
“A young man who doesn’t even have a traffic violation, but who, like many Colombians, is living a nightmare, unable to return to his country, and who urgently needs the State’s intervention. That’s why today, as a mother, I’m asking for your help,” Vergara said in a video posted on her social media.
Vergara also said her son has legal documentation allowing him to live and work in the United States. According to her, he holds a legal work permit, a social security number, and has a hearing scheduled for 2028 to address his asylum claims.
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She insisted he was waiting for his legal situation to be resolved through the system when he was detained.
“He has been imprisoned for 18 days, chained up in inhumane conditions, a person who was waiting for his legal status to be resolved,” Vergara mentioned.
Her political party in Colombia publicly backed her after the news went public. The Colombian Conservative Party issued a statement of support, while also pointing to what it said is a larger issue affecting other Colombians in similar legal situations abroad.
” Our solidarity with Representative Ángela Vergara and her family in the face of the difficult situation they are going through, as well as many of our fellow citizens who, in legal asylum processes and without criminal records, face prolonged detentions and adverse conditions abroad.”
Ángela Maria Vergara serves as a Representative to the Chamber of Representatives for the department of Bolívar in Colombia and is affiliated with the Partido Conservador.
The situation has also sparked a wave of commentary online. Some social media users reportedly claimed that before her son’s detention, Vergara was known as a strong supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump. Others claimed she previously defended ICE raids, before her son was arrested.
