ICE Arrests Border Patrol Officer Upon Reporting to Work

Border Patrol Officer Arrested Upon Arriving to Work

Previously Approved by CBP

Released After Posting Bond

A Border Patrol officer was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents when he showed up for work.

Ángel Camacho expected a routine workday. Instead, he was placed under arrest and sent to the detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz.

The IT project manager had gone to what was described as a routine inspection at a Border Patrol office. He never imagined ICE agents were waiting for him.

Camacho, a Venezuelan asylum applicant, has lived in the United States for nearly 10 years.

ICE Arrests Border Patrol Officer After He Arrived for Work

Venezuelan engineer went to complete a job at a Border Patrol facility and ended up arrested. https://t.co/H39rOycB70

— Noticias Telemundo (@TelemundoNews) February 24, 2026

Ángel Camacho is 43 years old. He has no criminal record. He does not have permanent legal status.

He obtained temporary protected status after entering the country on a tourist visa in 2016, according to Mirror.

He is currently seeking permanent residency as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. He also has children born in the United States.

“I have a work permit, a Social Security number, a driver’s license. I pay my taxes every year,” he told NBC6 Investigates.

From Routine Inspection to Arrest

Angel Camacho is in the country as an asylum seeker with legal protected status. He’s also married to a U.S. citizen and raising American-born children. Just cruel. pic.twitter.com/7yvHZdwVOc

— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) February 26, 2026

Ángel Camacho’s supervisor had submitted his driver’s license for security authorization.

He received an email confirmation from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stating that he was “approved” to enter.

“We just need to know what time you’ll arrive so we can be prepared,” the correspondence obtained by NBC6 reportedly stated.

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The next day, January 6, Ángel Camacho arrived at the location. “I said, ‘Good morning. I’m Ángel,’” he recounted.

The response shocked him. “Oh yes, we’ve been waiting for you,” they told him. “They said, ‘I have to detain you.’ I asked, ‘What are you doing? Are you joking?’”

According to his account, he was not committing any crime.

“They didn’t catch me doing anything wrong,” he said. “I just went to work, and it was very easy for them to detain me and say: ‘This is an immigrant.’”

Protections Revoked and Increase in Detentions

Border Patrol hired Angel Camacho, but when he showed up for work, they said they were “waiting for him” and ICE put him in handcuffs.

Married to a U.S. citizen and raising American kids, he spent 30 days at Alligator Alcatraz despite having legal status. pic.twitter.com/HqJ797Rx1D

— WarMonitor (@TheWarMonitor) February 25, 2026

The administration of Donald Trump has broadly revoked legal protections previously granted to more than one million people under humanitarian programs.

Immigration judges have dismissed hundreds of pending cases.

These revocations have increased the number of individuals considered “undocumented.”

As a result, more people are now subject to arrest and deportation.

Trump previously stated that Alligator Alcatraz would house “some of the most threatening immigrants.”

However, ICE statistics show that only one in four detainees has a criminal record.

Just 7% have been convicted of violent crimes.

Hundreds of detainees at the facility have filed federal lawsuits seeking release.

Legal challenges have flooded federal courts across the country.

ICE Arrests Border Patrol Officer and Forces Him to Pay a Bond

Camacho was able to secure a bond hearing.

He paid $5,000 for his release.

He agreed to electronic ankle monitoring after his time in custody, according to NBC.

He described his detention as devastating.

“It’s the worst nightmare I’ve ever lived,” he said.

“That’s not a place for anyone, especially if you’ve never committed a crime.”

Detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have reported mistreatment and health concerns.

Some claim guards punished them for attempting to obtain legal representation.

The Border Patrol officer arrest case reflects the broader impact of recent immigration policy revocations.

His detention occurred simply because he showed up to work.