Chicago Man With Epilepsy Who Fled Venezuela With Family Released From ICE Custody

Albeiro Ropero Remolina is pictured. (Ropero Remolina family photo)

After nearly a month spent in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, a Chicago father of three has been reunited with his family.

Albeiro Ropero Remolina, who has epilepsy, was detained alongside his wife while he was warming up the car to take her to work on Dec. 29. A team of federal immigration officers swarmed their vehicle and took them into custody.

On Friday, the family received news that Ropero Remolina’s habeas corpus petition was granted and his bond had been set. On Monday night, Ropero Remolina’s wife drove to Indiana to reunite with her husband.

“I’m really excited, our kids miss him so much,” Remolina’s wife said late Monday evening in an interview conducted in Spanish. She requested that her name not be used for fear of retribution. WTTW News granted that request.

While Ropero Remolina’s wife was released the same day they were taken into custody from the Broadview ICE detention center, he was not.

“The times my husband spoke with the children, he would tell them not to be sad that he was on a work trip and would be home soon,” she said.

Ropero Remolina, who relies on medication for seizures, was transferred to a detention facility in Indiana, raising urgent concerns about his health. Attorneys quickly intervened, filing a humanitarian request to ensure he received his medication.

His attorneys argued that Ropero Remolina has no criminal record and has been complying with the requirements of his asylum case, which will continue after his release. He works as an Uber driver and is involved in a church community.

The couple sought asylum in the U.S. nearly a year ago after leaving Venezuela. Ropero Remolina’s wife previously said the family traveled for nearly eight months before waiting at the border for an immigration appointment. They were eventually bused to Chicago, where they spent six months in a city shelter before moving into their own home.

His wife shared that they came to America for better opportunities, making the dangerous trip from Venezuela with their three young children.

“Every single day, ICE brutalizes and detains children and families — separating innocent children from their homes and the loved ones they belong with, and unlawfully holding them in detention centers across the U.S. This trauma will not end here; it will be generational, lasting long after this administration is gone,” said Paula Roa, founder of Roa Immigration Law.

Roa, ADC Immigration Law and Jaimes Law LLC worked to get Ropero Remolina released.

“We will not stop working and organizing until every one of our children and community members is back home with their families, just like Albeiro,” said Roa.

WTTW News reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking clarification on the circumstances of Ropero Remolina’s initial arrest. The department has not responded.

Source: https://news.wttw.com/2026/02/03/chicago-man-epilepsy-who-fled-venezuela-family-released-ice-custody