More than 100 people recently deported from the United States were being held in a hotel when earthquakes struck Venezuela, setting off a scramble to find survivors and locate those missing among the rubble. A deportation flight from Miami arrived in Caracas hours before Wednesday's twin earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude. On board were 146 Venezuelan nationals, including 19 women and seven children, according to ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First that tracks U.S. deportation flights.
The deportees were taken to Hotel Santuario La Llanada in La Guaira, one of the areas hardest hit by the quakes. Survivors described being trapped under collapsed structures while officials worked to account for everyone aboard the flights. The Venezuelan government reports more than 1,700 people were killed in the disaster. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not responded to requests for information as of publication time.
What the Right Is Saying
Trump administration officials have defended the pace of enforcement operations, pointing to campaign promises of mass deportation as a core priority. The White House has argued that individuals who enter the country without legal status and fail to appear for immigration proceedings should face removal.
Deportation flights to Venezuela resumed in February 2025 after a 13-month pause during which diplomatic channels were reportedly explored. Administration officials note that 12 flights landed in Venezuela in May alone, operating three days per week. The White House has characterized the operations as necessary enforcement of existing law.
Republican lawmakers have largely supported the administration's approach, arguing that expanded detention capacity and accelerated removal processes are essential tools for addressing what they describe as broken immigration systems. Some conservative commentators have noted that the earthquakes create an urgent humanitarian situation but have not called for changes to deportation policy itself.
What the Left Is Saying
Immigration advocates say the timing of the deportations highlights what they describe as dangerous gaps in due process protections. Human Rights First, which operates ICE Flight Monitor, noted that May 2026 saw 288 deportation flights to 38 countries, including remote destinations such as Burkina Faso, Cambodia, and Cameroon. The group argues that rapid removals can separate individuals from legal representation and prevent proper review of asylum claims.
Lisbeth Portillo, a 58-year-old deportee who survived the earthquake, told reporters she crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in November 2021 and had a pending asylum claim when she was removed. 'I couldn't remember my children's phone number,' Portillo said from her home in Maracaibo after reuniting with family. She described walking five kilometers through debris-strewn streets searching for help, saying she was traumatized by the experience.
Democratic lawmakers have called for investigations into whether deportees with active legal cases were properly processed before removal. Advocacy groups say the earthquake tragedy underscores the need for greater transparency around deportation flight destinations and passenger manifests.
What the Numbers Show
According to ICE Flight Monitor data: 146 people were aboard the Miami-to-Caracas flight, including 19 women and seven children. May 2026 saw 288 total U.S. deportation flights to 38 countries. Venezuela received 12 of those flights in May alone, operating three days per week since February 2025 when removals resumed after a 13-month suspension.
The Venezuelan government reports more than 1,700 deaths from Wednesday's earthquakes. The quakes measured magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and struck as what seismologists describe as an earthquake doublet, meaning two major temblors occurred in close succession in the same region. La Guaira, where the hotel housing deportees was located, sustained significant damage to multiple structures.
Human Rights First estimates that hundreds of deportation flights have targeted countries without standard repatriation agreements, raising questions about diplomatic frameworks governing removals. ICE has not published passenger manifests or confirmed how many individuals aboard recent Venezuela flights had pending asylum applications.
The Bottom Line
The disappearance of more than 100 deportees in the aftermath of Venezuela's deadliest earthquake in years creates a humanitarian situation layered atop ongoing immigration enforcement debates. U.S. officials have not clarified whether they can account for those removed on Wednesday or what communications, if any, exist with Venezuelan authorities about locating survivors.
Immigration advocates are calling for transparency around deportation flight records and due process protections for individuals with active legal cases. The administration has defended its enforcement priorities as consistent with campaign commitments and existing law.
What happens next: ICE has not responded to inquiries about passenger manifests or coordination with Venezuelan officials. Families of deportees, including Liliana Rojas who told Telemundo she is searching for her 33-year-old partner, say they have received no information from detention facilities or government agencies. The earthquake response in Venezuela continues as international aid organizations assess damage in La Guaira and surrounding areas.