A Rio Grande Valley doctor has been arrested at a Border Patrol checkpoint and is now being held in an immigration detention center.
Dr. Ezequiel Veliz’s spouse, Joseph Williams, said Veliz was arrested Monday at the Sarita crossing while on their way to Houston.
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“When he said, ‘They’re detaining me,’ I started crying. “I’m like, ‘No!'” “This cannot be happening,” Williams remarked.
Williams met Veliz in 2019. The couple was married in March. Williams described his partner as someone who genuinely cares about helping others. “He enjoys saving lives,” Williams explained.
Veliz was completing his medical residency program with UTRGV at Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco. He already held a medical degree from Venezuela.
Williams stated that Veliz was lawfully present in the United States and aimed to assist patients in managing their diabetes. “He wanted to make the biggest impact he could and just jump in,” Williams explained.
That changed late last year, when Veliz lost his job through his work permit after his legal status expired and he became undocumented.
Williams stated that Veliz’s job authorization card was issued under a temporary protected status classification.
In October, the Trump administration ordered that those with Veliz’s status from Venezuela have their status revoked.
Veliz lost his job and became undocumented.
Williams stated that Veliz had been seeking to obtain a green card since then.
The couple chose to relocate to Houston. To get there, they had to pass via the Sarita Border Patrol post, where Veliz was detained for questioning.
Williams waited five hours before discovering his husband was detained. “Oh my God, and I was just bawling,” Williams admitted.
Williams stated that Veliz was taken to McAllen for processing before meeting with an immigration court at a later date.
Carlos Garcia, an immigration attorney, does not represent Veliz or Williams but has clients facing similar issues. “We’ve seen people detained at every stage of their immigration process, which is extremely concerning,” Garcia added.
Garcia recommends avoiding Border Patrol checks. What’s going on in South Texas is that even if you came properly but your visa has expired for whatever reason, if you see an immigration or Border Patrol official, you’re very likely to be held,” Garcia said.
According to Garcia, Veliz’s efforts to obtain a green card may help him bail out of detention. William hopes it happens soon. “He’ll have to see a judge there, and they’ll decide whether he stays in the country or is deported,” Williams added.
