Hispanic Congresswoman Who Celebrated Trump Denounces Her Son’s ICE Detention

Ángela Vergara’s son detained by ICE

Congresswoman denounces “martyrdom”

Controversy over support for Trump

Colombian conservative congresswoman Ángela Vergara is facing one of the most difficult moments of her public and private life.

She previously celebrated the victory of Donald Trump and his return to the White House. Today, she is denouncing the detention of her son by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Last Friday, she took to social media to reveal the situation. She said her son had been “imprisoned and shackled” for 18 days.

Ángela Vergara, Trump Ally, Accuses “Martyrdom” After Arrest of Her Son

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Rafael Alonso Vergara, 22, was detained in the United States by immigration authorities.

In a video shared online, Vergara described the situation as a “martyrdom.”

“He is a person who was waiting for his legal situation to be resolved, but he had his work permit and his Social Security number,” she said.

She added that her son has no criminal record. “A young man who doesn’t even have a traffic ticket,” she stated.

Angela Vergara Goes From Backing Trump to Facing a Family Crisis

Angela Vergara, a Colombian Trump supporter and far-right congresswoman, celebrated when ICE was detaining her own fellow countrymen in the U.S.

But 18 days ago, ICE ‘kidnapped’ her son, and now she no longer finds amusing the cruelty she once applauded.

pic.twitter.com/5zaF1O1wJo

— Abraham Mendieta (@abrahamendieta) February 14, 2026

Angela Vergara is a member of Colombia’s Conservative Party.

Her political party has openly supported the U.S. Republican Party.

She has publicly celebrated Trump’s return to power.

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After the case became known, criticism emerged.

Some accused her of having celebrated deportations of Latinos.

Others claimed she had called for U.S. military intervention in Colombia.

The congresswoman rejected those accusations and described them as false.

She insisted she has never promoted persecution against migrants.

Since then, she has given statements to different media outlets.

She has used her social media to explain the context of the arrest.

ICE detention in Louisiana at 4 a.m.

“Colombian congresswoman Ángela María Vergara (Conservative Party, Bolívar), known for her explicit support of Trumpist policies including mass ICE raids and groups such as ‘Latinas for Trump,’ denounces that her son Rafael Alfonso Vergara Vergara, 22 years old,…” pic.twitter.com/s553Q88lNo

— Runas Dos Lunas (@DosRunas) February 18, 2026

According to Angela Vergara’s version, her son was detained on a public roadway in Louisiana.

The arrest occurred at 4:00 a.m.

After being identified as an immigrant, he was taken into ICE custody.

She said he has been in the United States since 2022.

In 2023, he applied for asylum.

Since his detention last month, the legal strategy changed.

The family requested voluntary return to Colombia.

She said that would be the fastest solution.

She stated: “My son is not undocumented.”

She also said: “My son is another Latino who is suffering firsthand what thousands are suffering in the United States.”

She reiterated that he is not a criminal.

Political controversy surrounding ICE enforcement

Since Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office for his second term, immigration policy has hardened.

Funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased.

The Border Patrol has also been strengthened.

Both agencies have received greater autonomy and expanded operational powers.

ICE raids have been carried out in search of undocumented immigrants.

Additionally, visas have been restricted and agreements with other countries have been tightened.

In the past year, the U.S. administration has deported more than 650,000 undocumented immigrants.

ICE and Border Patrol agents have become the focus of criticism.

Their operations have been questioned for what some describe as excessive tactics.

Dressed like paramilitary forces and with their faces covered, they have deployed in several cities.

Among them, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Amid this context, Angela Vergara says she is living through a nightmare brought on by the detention of her son by ICE in Louisiana.

While she publicly defended the political direction in Washington, she now faces the direct impact of those decisions.

Her case has reopened debate over immigration policies and their human consequences.

For Angela Vergara, the discussion is no longer ideological.

It has become a personal experience marked by uncertainty.