MILLSBORO, Del. - A Millsboro man identified as José, whose name is being withheld to protect his identity and due to fears of retaliation, was detained after attending a routine appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he was told he was missing documents from his 2022 entry into the country, according to his family.
His partner and the mother of his child, identified as María, also requesting anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said they still do not know which documents were in question.
"When he asked which documents, they couldn't even answer what documents they were detaining him for. They just detained him and took him away," she told CoastTV News in Spanish.
The woman stated that the man has a pending asylum case and holds a work permit. She added that she learned of the detention after receiving a photo showing José's feet in cuffs, who has no criminal record, after sending him a message asking how the appointment went because she hadn't heard from him. She said it was a shocking moment.
"It all came crashing [down] on me because it was always just the three of us everywhere," she recalled. "It saddened me that he's going through this process. That was just an appointment, nothing more, like he's always done since he arrived here in the United States," she said.

The woman says that, although it is often hard, she tries to stay strong for her son.
María explained that since the detention, she has had to seek help to get through each day, especially with transportation, since she doesn't drive and relied on José for that.
"I'm learning to live like this, adapting to the change, because my son needs a lot of attention. I'm alone with him, sometimes I feel like I can't do it, but I have to keep going," she said.
The mother, who continues to work, now covers all the household expenses, something they used to share.
CoastTV News spoke exclusively by phone with José, who is being held in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. The man, who said he was feeling somewhat unwell and had a sore throat, described the conditions there as chaotic.
"Right now, what I fear the most, and some of us here do too, is that it's like a source of infection because there are doctors and all, but they just ask questions. They don't run tests. People come and go. Lately, you hear a lot of people getting sick, coughing through the night," José said.
When asked what he longed for most, he replied: "My family that is there with you, and it's frustrating not being able to be with them because you follow your process to avoid cases like this, but still I’m here like many others."
His partner said that sometimes she doesn't want to believe José is detained, adding that their son smiles every time he hears his father's voice during daily phone calls.

Maria says that these have been difficult weeks.
"He's always been very loving with my son and gives him lots of kisses and hugs before bed, but now he can't, and I feel like my son is missing that, having his dad here," she said.
The woman said the past few weeks have been difficult.
"When I'm cooking, my son says, 'Mom, Mom, come, sit down,'" she said. "He always calls me to be with him, but sometimes I have to leave everything to be with him because he's a child who doesn't understand what we're going through," she said.
She added that although it is often hard, she tries to stay strong for her son.
"He doesn't know if his dad will come back or not, but I try to always talk to him so he doesn’t forget his dad," she said.
The boy's mother, who described José as a humble and hardworking man, said he came to the United States seeking a better life.
"I hope he gets out soon because he doesn't deserve to be there. He's not a person who has harmed anyone, and he doesn't deserve to be in there," she said.
According to the family, José is expected to have his first hearing in immigration court in the coming days.