ICE deportes a Dominican citizen despite U.S. court order

On June 5, Vicente Calderón, a Dominican national living in Northeast Philadelphia, attended a routine USCIS interview with his wife, Flor de Oro Miranda, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis. During the interview an ICE officer placed Calderón in custody. While his lawyers pursued a habeas‑corpus petition, a federal judge ordered a hearing to consider release on bail. The attorneys say the first hearing was held without notice, and when the court ordered the process to be repeated, Calderón had already been deported to the Dominican Republic. His sister, Aida Lucía Calderón, said the family learned of the deportation shortly after the judicial decision. The separation has caused emotional and financial strain, especially because Miranda depends on Calderón for daily care. Miranda told reporters, “Él era todo para mí.” Immigration advocates warn the case heightens fear among immigrants with pending applications. Calderón, speaking from the Dominican Republic via video link, said he hopes to return to the United States and reunite with his wife.