Victor Martinez Nieto and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were both deported on Tuesday after being detained by federal immigration authorities in Austin, Texas earlier this month. The pair was apprehended while en route to a soccer match, according to reports.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Mullin responded Thursday to criticism from Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, who had raised concerns about the case as part of his opposition to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement agenda.
What the Left Is Saying
Talarico, a Texas state representative running for U.S. Senate, highlighted Liam's age and circumstances in his criticism. The boy was slated to start kindergarten this week.
"ICE kidnapped Liam Tadeo on his way to a soccer game with his dad," Talarico wrote on social media. "Liam should be in kindergarten. Instead, our government has thrown him in a prison camp hundreds of miles from home."
Talarico later posted that Liam had been deported along with his father, continuing to frame the situation as a matter of family separation and the treatment of children caught up in immigration enforcement.
Immigration advocacy groups have echoed similar concerns about the deportation of minors, arguing that young children should not be subject to removal proceedings and calling for greater protections for families with minor children.
What the Right Is Saying
Mullin pushed back against Talarico's characterization, saying the Texas Democrat "won't tell the American people the full story." The acting DHS secretary stated that ICE does not separate families during immigration enforcement operations.
"Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates," Mullin wrote. "In this case, both the father and son were deported together."
Mullin drew a parallel between immigration cases and how U.S. citizen parents who break laws face consequences for their children. "Just as any U.S. citizen parent who breaks the law is when they are arrested," he noted.
Immigration enforcement officials have maintained that family unity is preserved whenever possible, with removal proceedings typically involving both parent and child when a minor is traveling with an adult relative subject to deportation.
What the Numbers Show
Both Martinez Nieto and Liam Tadeo were held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, one of the largest immigration detention facilities in the United States. According to federal data, the facility has capacity for approximately 2,000 detainees.
Martinez Nieto was first arrested by immigration officers in November 2025 and subsequently deported in February, according to the Austin American-Statesman. He later re-entered the United States illegally before being detained again with his son earlier this month.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports that family removals occur when parents or legal guardians request to remain with their children during removal proceedings rather than designate an alternative guardian in the U.S.
The Bottom Line
The incident has become a focal point in Texas's upcoming Senate race, with Talarico using it to criticize broader immigration enforcement policies under the current administration. DHS officials maintain that the father's choices determined the outcome and that family separation did not occur.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the family's attorney for comment on the situation. The case illustrates ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement priorities and advocates who argue that children should receive additional protections regardless of their parents' immigration status.