Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop on August 16 in Austin, Texas, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson. The pair were on their way to a soccer match when the arrest occurred, and are now being held at the Dilley Detention Center.
DHS officials stated that Nieto had illegally entered the U.S. in March 2022 near Laredo, Texas. He had previously been arrested by ICE in November 2025 and accepted voluntary departure. After being removed from the country in February 2026, he re-entered the U.S. illegally at an unspecified time.
Patricia Resendiz, who identified herself as Nieto's sister-in-law and has started a GoFundMe for the family, described the detention as "cruel." She stated that her sister is devastated by the events. Resendiz also recounted that her own son, Liam's cousin, heard ICE agents tell Liam, "You can't escape."
According to Resendiz, Liam, who was preparing to start kindergarten the week of his detention, will require psychological support due to the trauma of the experience. "Liam is a beautiful, intelligent, and big-hearted little boy," she wrote. "My sister is devastated, as are we."
The DHS spokesperson noted that the Dilley Detention Center is equipped for families, offering access to teachers, classrooms, and educational materials. Officials also stated that ICE detention is a choice and that the agency encourages individuals to self-deport using the CBP Home App, which includes an offer of $2,600 and a flight for those who choose to leave voluntarily.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a January arrest in Minnesota, where a 5-year-old boy named Liam Conejo Ramos was photographed with ICE agents while his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was detained. Both father and son were also sent to the Dilley facility, and were later released in February following a judge's order.