ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orange County family is speaking out after their loved one was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody following an immigration court hearing in Orlando.
Stenger Caraucan, a Venezuelan migrant, was detained Monday after attending a hearing related to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. His family says he is among the thousands of Venezuelans no longer protected under a policy change approved by the Trump administration and recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
[BELOW: Troy Campbell sits down with family]
His sister, Damary Aranguran, said she reached out to News 6 in hopes of finding out where Caraucan was being held.
“I just hope to have him here with me again,” she said. “Even though it’s uncertain. Now I know what will happen because they do what they want.”
Her husband, Andrew Chandler, said Caraucan’s case was dismissed during the court hearing, but as he was leaving, ICE agents took him into custody.
“ICE grabs them. You’re telling them they’re free to go, but they’re not really free,” he said.
The TPS program had shielded more than 350,000 Venezuelan migrants from deportation. Last month, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the federal government to officially terminate that protection. The change also led to layoffs, including nearly 4,000 employees at Walt Disney World.
Caraucan’s family said he has lived in Central Florida since 2023, has no criminal history, and has worked consistently. They added that he has been paying taxes and supporting his family.
“He’s in the asylum process. He shouldn’t be deported,” Aranguran added. “He pays taxes, he works, he’s up to date. He doesn’t have any infractions. There’s just no humanity in this.”
News 6 independently confirmed Caraucan is currently being held at the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, according to ICE detainee records online.
The family said they received one phone call from him on the day of his arrest, but have not heard from him since. They are also concerned he may not have access to necessary medication.
“He is an excellent person,” Aranguran said. “If you went to his job and asked, everyone would say the same. Excellent brother, excellent son, excellent father. That’s why we are here, for our family. We are not criminals.”
The family said they are waiting for answers and are hoping to learn more about his case in the coming days.