- Family members visited Gabriel Johnson in a Texas hospital after he suffered a stroke while in ICE custody.
- The Liberian immigrant has resided legally in the U.S. for nearly forty years before his recent detention.
- Attorneys filed a habeas corpus case challenging his detention and seeking an emergency stay of removal for medical treatment.
Gabriel Johnson’s family visited him in a Texas hospital Saturday, more than a week after officials moved the North Carolina pastor through multiple detention facilities and he suffered a stroke in ICE custody. The one-hour visit came after relatives struggled to reach him and learn his location.
Johnson, 55, is a Liberian immigrant who has lived legally in the United States since he was 15. He came to the country in 1987 and has spent approximately 40 years in the United States.
Immigration officers took him from his home in Cary, North Carolina, on July 15, 2026. He was later transferred to facilities in Georgia and Texas before entering medical care.
His daughter, Gabri Johnson, said the family believes officials ignored repeated requests for basic care and medication before the medical emergency.
“Like he’s been telling them, give me my medication, give me food, give me water. They laughed at him. They refused.”
She also said, “ICE is fully responsible for this.”
Johnson remains partially paralyzed on his left side, according to relatives. His family is pressing for his release and transfer to a specialized rehabilitation facility near his home in North Carolina.
Johnson’s detention moved across three states before the hospital admission
The government held Johnson first in Cary, then transferred him to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. He later went to Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, before being hospitalized.
Officials said he entered the hospital on July 30 with symptoms resembling a neurological emergency. They described him as being in stable condition and said medical staff were monitoring his high blood pressure.
His relatives describe a different account of the weeks before the hospitalization. They allege that he lacked access to his prescribed daily medication during 15 days in custody across three states.
The family also says Johnson described being held in a dark warehouse during the transfer to Texas. He allegedly remained in handcuffs among dozens of other detainees.
Johnson has a medical history that includes high blood pressure and minor episodes dating to 2020. Relatives say guards mocked him when he sought help before his condition worsened.
A federal case challenges the detention and removal process
Johnson’s lawyers filed a habeas corpus case, Johnson v. Streeval, Case No. 4:26-cv-01037, on July 23, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
The family initially believed officers had detained him because of a misunderstanding involving a missed appointment. Authorities later said the enforcement action relied on an old removal order.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson described Johnson as a “target of an immigration enforcement operation” and called him a “criminal illegal alien from Liberia.” The department said he overstayed a visa from 1987 and had a final order of removal dating to January 1991.
The family’s legal effort includes a request to let Johnson remain in the United States while he receives treatment. Lawyers sought an emergency stay of removal covering three to six months of recovery, but federal authorities reportedly denied that request.
Family members want release and answers about his care
Johnson’s wife of 30 years and their four children were initially unable to contact him or confirm his precise location in Texas. His daughter, Gabri Johnson, 30, has since become a public advocate for his release.
She characterized the treatment as “torture” and “inhumane.” The family continues to seek records and explanations about the care Johnson received while detained and during his transfers.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas called for Johnson’s immediate release on August 1, 2026.
“I am asking ICE to release Gabriel immediately to reunite with his family and get the medical care he needs. This is not love, this is not care, this is not America.”
Castro’s statement followed the family’s public campaign and calls for medical treatment outside detention. Relatives say Johnson needs intensive rehabilitation rather than continued confinement.
Members of his North Carolina congregation and civil rights advocates have held prayer vigils. They are also seeking a full investigation into the allegations of medical neglect.
The family finally saw Johnson in his Texas hospital room on August 8, 2026. Their legal and humanitarian requests remain focused on moving him closer to home for rehabilitation.
