The family of a Texas Marine veteran said he’s headed home after nearly a week in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Maria Renteria Torres said immigration officials detained her husband, Julio Torres, at DFW International Airport while returning home from a trip to Mexico late last week.
Just days before their trip, she said he received his recently renewed Green Card.
“He went through one line and I went through another line, and that was it. That was the last time I saw him. He calls me and he says, ‘Babe, I’m going to be detained.’ And I say, ‘No. You’re lying.’ And he says, no I’m going to be detained’,” said Renteria Torres.
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Wednesday night, instead of joining his congregation in worship at Covenant Church of East Texas in Rusk, the family said Torres, a chaplain for the Rusk Police Department, was in an ICE detention center in Alvarado.
Torres told them he was told he was being held for a decade-old drug charge.
He said it happened after his service in Iraq, during a particularly difficult battle with PTSD.
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He completed a prison sentence, probation and years of community service.
“I wouldn’t want nobody to go through this. It hurts,” said Renteria Torres.
The family said they weren’t given any other information about why he was being held or how long he’d be detained.
ICE also didn’t respond to NBC 5’s request for comment.
Then, just minutes after the interview, Julio called his wife to say he’d been released.
“He called me and he said, ‘Babe. Come pick me up. Come pick me up,'” she said.
The news was celebrated by the congregation, which has rallied around the family in recent days. Others wrote letters of support, encouraging his release.
Among them was Rusk Police Chief Scott Heagney:
“Most people in Rusk are aware of Julio’s criminal past. However, it’s important to note that Julio is not the same man he was many years ago. He has paid his debt to society and undergone a significant character transformation, emerging as a model citizen…
Julio has dedicated his life to serving and helping others. He is deeply involved with the Community Covenant Church and operates the Prodigal Home Discipleship Center, a halfway home and ministry for men. His past experiences have enabled him to use his knowledge for good, helping many in Rusk and Cherokee County who are struggling with gang, drug or alcohol abuse, or legal issues, to turn their lives around. Julio’s selfless dedication to community events and activities is a testament to his commitment and contributions.”
Via a phone call with his wife before news of his release, Torress told NBC 5 he also hopes to advocate against detentions like his in the future.
For now, his family’s just eager to bring him home.
“I’ll kiss him, hug him and thank God,” said Renteria Torres.
