(DETROIT, MICHIGAN) Two 16-year-old Detroit cousins who fled violence in Venezuela and came to the United States in 2023 are now being held in an ICE facility in Texas after immigration agents arrested them during a raid on their eastside home on Thursday, November 21, 2025. The Detroit teens, both seeking asylum and holding valid work permits, were swept up even though the operation was aimed at a different target, deepening fear and confusion in immigrant neighborhoods across the city.
What happened during the raid
The raid targeted a fugitive Ecuadorian national accused of assaulting a Detroit Border Patrol agent the previous week. During the search, agents instead encountered three Venezuelan nationals in the home.
According to Youssef Fawaz, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers found the group “illegally present” in the country and moved quickly to arrest them.
By the end of the day:
– The two 16-year-olds, one of their parents, and another Venezuelan adult taken into custody later that day had all been detained.
– The minors were transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center, an ICE facility hundreds of miles from Detroit that holds families and children in civil immigration detention.
Immigration status of the teens
Both teenagers are in the middle of the U.S. immigration court process and are formally seeking asylum—a protection that allows people who fear persecution in their home countries to stay in the United States.
- They had upcoming court hearings scheduled in their cases at the time of their arrests.
- They had already been granted permission to work while their claims moved forward.
School and work life in Detroit
The cousins were working at a Chili’s restaurant and attending school in Detroit. One attends Western International High School, where teacher Kristen Schoettle described him as “an excellent student, really wants to learn English.” Schoettle said his sudden arrest has shocked classmates and staff.
“When kids who are trying to do everything right still end up detained, it sends a message that nothing they do will make them safe.” — a Detroit teacher
Difficulty tracking minors in custody
The teenagers’ parents have not agreed to release their names. Because of federal rules, the ICE detainee locator system does not list information about minors in custody. That has made it harder for friends, teachers, and community members to follow what is happening or offer help.
- Families often rely on ICE’s online locator to track adults, but children are effectively invisible in that system.
- Lack of clear information can delay getting lawyers, gathering documents, or preparing for asylum hearings.
Community impact and rising fear
The incident has struck Detroit’s Venezuelan and broader immigrant communities while tensions were already high.
- Advocates say that in Metro Detroit, more than 3,000 undocumented individuals have been arrested or detained in immigration-related actions over the past year, many with no criminal record beyond civil immigration violations.
- The arrest of teens who were clearly in the asylum process and allowed to work has fueled fears that no one feels safe, even those following government directions.
Consequences in communities and schools:
– Parents have begun pulling children out of school after hearing about the arrests.
– Educators report anxious students asking whether immigration agents could show up at school buildings or bus stops.
– Some households now avoid opening the door when anyone knocks.
– Community groups report a sharp decline in school attendance in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations.
In the months after President Trump’s second inauguration, students at schools serving many immigrant families missed an additional 4,900 days of class compared with schools with fewer immigrant students. Teachers say that number reflects families’ fear that simply leaving home to go to school could expose them to immigration agents.
##Collateral arrests and legal realities
Advocates call these incidents “collateral arrests,” where immigration agents detain people they encounter while searching for someone else. In this raid, the target was the Ecuadorian man accused of assaulting a Border Patrol agent, but it was the Venezuelan family and the two Detroit teens who ended up in detention in Texas.
Immigration lawyers emphasize:
– People already in the court system can still be detained if agents encounter them during enforcement operations.
– Asylum seekers usually apply by filing Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. More information is available on USCIS’s asylum page: Asylum.
– Those who receive permission to work typically do so through Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, available on the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765.
– Having a pending case and a work permit does not automatically prevent arrest or transfer to an ICE facility if agents decide to detain someone while their case continues.
Table: Key immigration forms mentioned
| Form | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-589 | Application for asylum and withholding of removal | https://www.uscis.gov/i-589 |
| Form I-765 | Application for employment authorization | https://www.uscis.gov/i-765 |
Information gaps and legal risks
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, families in these situations often struggle to get timely updates about loved ones—especially children held in family detention centers.
- This lack of information deepens stress and complicates efforts to obtain legal counsel or relevant documents.
- Lawyers warn that staying home from court or missing immigration appointments can lead to automatic removal orders in absentia.
- Despite this risk, many families choose not to attend hearings out of fear.
About the South Texas Family Residential Center
The South Texas Family Residential Center is one of ICE’s best-known family detention facilities and has long drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups and medical professionals.
- ICE describes family centers as more “residential” than typical jails, but they remain secure facilities where children live under constant supervision and are subject to strict rules.
- The cousins are currently held there, far from their Detroit support networks.
Local response and calls for change
In Detroit, news of the arrests has spread quickly through WhatsApp groups, church networks, and school communities. Some Venezuelan parents now rotate who leaves the house to limit exposure to law enforcement. Others debate whether to attend immigration check-ins or hearings, even though missing appointments can have serious legal consequences.
Local advocates are pressing federal officials for:
– More transparency about detainees, especially minors.
– Clearer limits on when minors in the asylum process can be detained far from their families.
– Protections to prevent collateral arrests that erode trust and damage neighborhoods.
For now, the cousins remain in Texas and their future is uncertain. Back in Detroit, classmates pass by an empty desk while a worried teacher waits for word on when—or if—her student will return.
Two 16-year-old Venezuelan cousins in Detroit were arrested during a November 21, 2025 raid aimed at a fugitive and transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center. Both had pending asylum claims and valid work permits and were enrolled in Detroit school and jobs. Advocates warn the arrests—called collateral arrests—have increased fear in immigrant communities, exposed limitations in the ICE detainee locator for minors, and complicated access to lawyers and court preparation.
