DHS rips ‘false’ claim agency tried to deport families to Venezuela after quakes

Published July 1, 2026 9:33pm ET



The Department of Homeland Security pushed back Wednesday against claims from Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) that immigration officials attempted to deport families with children to Venezuela as the country reels from last week’s devastating earthquakes.

Castro said families held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas were awakened overnight and transferred to Arizona for what they believed was a deportation flight to Venezuela before ultimately being returned to the detention facility.

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