EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Immigrant advocates are calling for the release of an El Paso-area activist detained Sunday at El Paso International Airport on immigration charges.
Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago was taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents at around 4 a.m. as she waited to board a flight out of El Paso. The Movimiento Cosecha activist and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals beneficiary was carrying a work authorization document when detained, according to friends and colleagues who have started a GoFundMe account for her legal fees.
Movimiento Cosecha also posted on X video of Santiago’s encounter with Border Patrol agents at the airport.
“Xóchitl was accosted by two Border Patrol agents […] as she was about to board a domestic flight for work. Despite presenting a valid DACA work authorization card offering proof of her protection from deportation, Border Patrol abducted and detained her without warrant or cause,” the organizer wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Santiago has since been transferred to a federal immigration processing center.
The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday told Border Report Santiago is a “criminal illegal alien from Mexico.” She has previously been charged with trespassing, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia, the federal agency said.
“Illegal aliens who claim to be recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals are not automatically protected from deportation. DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation fora number of reasons, including if they’ve committed a crime.”
Santiago is in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending proceedings to remove her from the United States, according to DHS.
Separately, one federal official pointed out that all foreign nationals present in the U.S. must always carry valid, up-to-date proof of immigration status and that a work permit by itself does not meet that requirement.
DHS also quoted Section 8 § 287.5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which gives federal immigration officers the authority to question, without a warrant, foreign nationals about their right to remain in the United States. Section 287(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and other statutes grant immigration officers arrest powers when enforcing federal laws, such as arresting smugglers fleeing on vehicles.
Still, Santiago sympathizers are preparing for a drawn-out legal fight. More than 1,000 people had donated an amount above $45,000 to the page as of Tuesday morning.
“We know that Xóchitl has made such a profound and powerful impact on so many loved friends and community members from Florida to Texas and beyond,” the fundraiser organizer wrote. “Xóchitl has been working for over a decade for the dignity and respect of the immigrant community. She was a long-time volunteer organizer with Movimiento Cosecha and currently works supporting families in El Paso.”
Movimiento Cosecha is a multi-state movement advocating for the legalization of the 11 million or so undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Their home page mentions the movement “believes in using non-cooperation to leverage the power of immigrant labor and consumption and force a meaningful shift in public opinion.” That includes calling for strikes and boycotts.
The use of the word “abducted” is gaining popularity among pro-immigration activists to describe apprehensions of undocumented immigrants they say have been present here and worked here so long that they should be considered members of the community.