DJ Tunjo and Partner Held by ICE After Midway Airport Arrest

Chicago-based Colombian artist Omar David Panqueva Rojas, known professionally as DJ Tunjo, and his husband, Santiago Páez, were arrested Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Midway Airport after federal officials said their B-2 visitor visas expired in 2022.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed the couple in ICE custody as they prepared to fly to Washington, D.C., for a music tour. Panqueva is 26. Páez is 27.

The couple now sits in a federal detention facility in Indiana. Their attorneys, led by Enrique Espinoza, said they applied for asylum before their visas expired. A court hearing is set for August 19, 2026.

The Department of Homeland Security said the arrests stemmed from the visa overstay. The agency also addressed the couple’s pending immigration cases in a statement issued August 4, 2026.

“To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do not confer legal status in the United States. [The individuals] will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings.”

A DHS spokesperson issued that statement. The couple has pending asylum cases, valid Social Security numbers and federal work permits.

The couple’s asylum cases remain pending while detention disrupts a tour

Espinoza’s legal team said the pair fled Colombia because of persecution of the LGBTQ+ community. The attorneys argue that government delay in processing their asylum claims contributed to the situation, rather than any wrongdoing by the couple.

The detention has halted Panqueva’s “Tunjo Takes a Chance Tour,” which included planned stops in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He had recently performed at the Sueños music festival and Fiesta del Sol and was known in Chicago’s Latin music scene.

The couple’s promoters and family have organized a GoFundMe and a community rally to pay for legal defense and support their families. The arrests also have drawn attention to domestic travel enforcement involving people who have pending asylum claims and employment authorization.

Airport cooperation has expanded under Operation Midway Blitz

Internal ICE sources said August 6, 2026, that the agency has increased cooperation with the Transportation Security Administration. The sources said TSA shares passenger manifests and “tips” about noncitizen travelers, describing people at airports as “easy targets.”

The operation involved in the arrests, Operation Midway Blitz, has been active since late 2025. It focuses on sanctuary jurisdictions such as Chicago, where local non-cooperation policies can limit assistance to federal immigration enforcement.

Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons described the operation on October 30, 2025:

“ICE launched Operation Midway Blitz to remove illegal alien threats to public safety. Sanctuary policies like those in Illinois sadly don’t recognize borders. We are working to ensure this [lawlessness] doesn’t happen in Indiana or Illinois.”

Lyons made the remarks while discussing the broader operation, not specifically Panqueva’s or Páez’s arrest.

July brought a record monthly high for ICE detentions

The arrests came during a wider enforcement push. July 2026 produced a record monthly high for ICE detentions, while reports indicated that the White House directed the agency to pursue a target of 2,000 arrests per day.

The case has been described as an example of a collateral arrest, in which people without criminal records are detained during routine domestic travel. The couple was traveling inside the United States when officers arrested them.

Their attorneys now face the August 19 hearing while the pair remains detained in Indiana. The pending asylum cases, employment permits and Social Security numbers do not prevent the government from continuing removal proceedings, according to DHS.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.