PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A west Phoenix mother with DACA was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Christmas Eve while shopping for her children.
It’s a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Arizona elected officials and immigrant advocates, who say the woman has legal protections and was waiting for a delayed renewal of her immigration paperwork.
Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya, a DACA recipient and mother of two U.S. citizens, was handcuffed and detained on the holiday, supporters said.
Vargas-Loya, who had been released on bond earlier this year after spending about a month in immigration detention and was wearing an ankle monitor, is the sole provider for her family after her husband was deported, they said.
Advocates and lawmakers called the arrest unjust and unnecessary, and urged immigrants to renew work permits and other documents earlier than they used to because of long processing delays.
“She was doing nothing and it is unjust that she was picked up,” state Sen. Karina Ruiz, a DACA recipient, said at a news conference. “Now more than ever, we must make sure that we renew that work permit under DACA that people like myself and others have won for our community.”
Supporters say Vargas-Loya was not accused of a new crime and was simply waiting for her DACA renewal to be processed — paperwork they say has been subject to long delays dating to the Trump administration.
They say the case has sown fear among immigrant families.
“This is a case that goes to show you that the children of immigrants who are going through this are scared, and it’s put a lot of fear in our community,” a community leader said.
Some lawmakers accused ICE of misdirecting resources.
Rep. Yasamin Ansari questioned why the agency would detain a DACA recipient on a major holiday instead of focusing on violent criminals.
“Why is ICE spending resources to detain a DACA recipient on Christmas Eve?” Ansari asked. “Why is Flor Ivet Vargas-Loya their biggest priority right now — someone who is doing it the right way?”
Vargas-Loya is among roughly 23,000 DACA recipients in Arizona, advocates said.
Officials and legal aid groups are now urging anyone with DACA or permanent residency to begin the renewal process earlier than the standard six months before expiration and to seek legal help promptly.
“As elected officials, it is our duty to stand up and fight for our community,” Rep. Cesar Aguilar said, urging colleagues to defend immigrant families and push for clearer policies to prevent similar incidents.
Vargas-Loya’s husband, Blademir Angulo Audeves, was previously arrested and indicted in July as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a Justice Department enforcement initiative, the department said.
The Justice Department said the 42-year-old pleaded guilty in August to one count of being an alien in possession of a firearm and one count of knowingly employing unauthorized workers.
Angulo Audeves owned a number of food businesses in the Phoenix area, including a restaurant on 67th Avenue and Indian School Road, a taco trailer that operated in Laveen and a taco bus that served Maricopa, prosecutors said.
ICE did not immediately comment on Vargas-Loya’s detention. Her case remains under review, supporters said.
Immigrant advocates said the episode underscores the uncertainty that can come even for people with legal protections and reiterated calls for policymakers to address processing delays and for community members to consult attorneys if they face immigration enforcement.
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