On December 15, 2024, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Venezuelan father, Carlos Tellez Sanchez, from Texas to West Africa, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s strategy to limit immigration and deport detainees to countries not their own. Sanchez, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 after fleeing Venezuela, is now stranded in the remote region of Liberia, facing a challenging situation that has ignited international debate regarding immigration policies and human rights concerns.
Sanchez stated he had never heard of Liberia until last week, when he discovered he was being deported to the country that sits between Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, just hours before his flight took off. He spent 15 hours in handcuffs aboard a plane, and his current location is a desolate area of the nation, leaving him isolated and vulnerable. He told CBS News via video call, “I do not understand how a country that considers itself a global hero can act this way towards a human being.”
Tellez Sanchez’s case underscores a broader trend within the U.S. immigration system, characterized by increased arrests and a prioritization of detaining individuals deemed ‘non-compliant’ – a practice that has raised concerns among human rights advocates. ICE has made a record number of arrests this summer, with a significant number of detainees being sent to countries not their own and banished to far-flung places. The agency’s policy of sending individuals to countries deemed ‘unworthy’ – often without adequate safeguards – has drawn criticism from international organizations.
The deportation to Liberia was a deliberate choice, reflecting the administration’s strategy to limit the number of individuals sent to countries considered ‘dangerous’. The Venezuelan native had been in the U.S. since 2021 after fleeing his home country, working as a car dealership employee in Dallas, and then as an Uber Eats driver to support his family. CBS News was unable to locate any criminal charges or convictions for Tellez Sanchez, beyond civil immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security has remained tight-lipped regarding the case, citing a desire to avoid public speculation and to allow Tellez Sanchez to navigate his situation with minimal interference.
In December 2025, ICE detained Tellez Sanchez during a routine immigration appointment, spending eight months in detention centers before deportation to Africa. An immigration judge in 2021 granted Tellez Sanchez protection from being sent back to Venezuela, stating that he could be persecuted there. Legally, that order did not prevent ICE from deporting him to any other country. Over the past year and a half, the Trump administration has brokered so-called ‘third-country’ deportation agreements with dozens of nations around the world, including some notoriously dangerous places like South Sudan and the Central African Republic. The deportation to Liberia represents a significant shift in policy, raising questions about the administration’s approach to immigration and its impact on humanitarian considerations.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Tellez Sanchez’s brother, Juan Tellez, expressed complete bewilderment at his brother’s detention, claiming no explanation has been offered. The case highlights a growing tension between immigration enforcement and humanitarian concerns, with critics arguing that the administration’s policies are disproportionately affecting vulnerable individuals and creating a climate of uncertainty. The situation remains unresolved, and the future of Tellez Sanchez’s journey is uncertain, prompting international scrutiny of U.S. immigration practices.
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Source: CBS News
