The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials confirmed on Tuesday (August 4) in a statement that 18-year-old Elder Nain Chavez-Carranza, a Honduran national, is currently being detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to the DHS statement, ICE arrested this illegal entrant on December 30, 2025. The statement read, “He unlawfully entered the United States through the southern border on February 2, 2022… He will continue to be detained by ICE awaiting immigration proceedings and will receive full due process protections.” The statement also emphasized that holding a “Special Immigrant Juvenile” (SIJ) status does not grant the holder legal residency.
Reported by Newsweek, Chavez-Carranza, who entered the U.S. four years ago, has been living in Albertville, Alabama, with his sister Mayuri Chavez. At the time, he was a high school junior. On December 30, 2025, a state trooper in Alabama pulled him over for speeding and driving without a license, then contacted ICE. After confirming his illegal stay in the U.S., ICE has detained him since then.
His lawyer, Dalaney Mecham, stated that immigration officials initiated removal proceedings after the traffic stop, and a judge later ruled that he met the conditions for deportation. He is currently appealing this decision, with related briefings yet to be scheduled.
Chavez-Carranza holds SIJ status, which is established for unaccompanied minors who have suffered abuse, neglect, or abandonment, allowing them to apply for legal permanent residency (green card). However, the lawyer pointed out that “SIJ is not an actual legal status, it merely permits the applicant to apply for a green card.”
Relatives and advocates for his rights expressed concerns that this young man, who has been detained for over 218 days, faces dim prospects for his green card application. His sister Mayuri Chavez said, “My brother is not a criminal, he has followed all the rules, attended court appearances, done everything the government asked of him, but it’s all in vain. We just want him out, to finish his education and have a future.”
Lawyer Mecham mentioned that Chavez-Carranza applied for deferred action in March. If approved, it could protect him from immediate deportation. The issue lies in the fact that authorities required him to complete fingerprinting for a background check, but he missed the last three appointments due to being detained.
In the statement, DHS encourages illegal immigrants to voluntarily depart using the Home app by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and mentioned that the U.S. currently provides $2600 and a free flight ticket to encourage self-deportation, allowing them to preserve the opportunity for legal return in the future.
(This article references reporting from Newsweek)