Skip to main content
Luis Garcia-Campos, the Portland man ordered deported to Venezuela for a first-time drug offense, is set to be released from immigration detention on an $8,000 bond, his attorney announced Tuesday.
The news doesn't mean Garcia-Campos, a 32-year-old legal immigrant who arrived in the United States as a teenager, escapes the threat of deportation. He'll still face a removal proceeding at an as-yet undetermined date.
But he'll no longer be confined to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash., as he awaits a decision. His case also will be transferred to Portland, his attorney, David Shamloo, says.
Garcia-Campos' case is unfolding under President Barack Obama, who has deported a record number of immigrants during his two terms. But it illustrates circumstances that likely will persist under President-elect Donald Trump—how easily someone can go from lawful immigrant to criminal alien under the current U.S. system.
Before his conviction, Garcia-Campos was eligible to become a U.S. citizen, his partner, Sean Sexton, told WW.
Garcia-Campos faces deportation after calling 911 in March 2016 following a confrontation with his then-husband. Garcia-Campos aided Washington County sheriff's deputies, who found meth in the home belonging to Garcia-Campos' husband. But a few weeks later, police arrested Garcia-Campos on allegations of drug possession too. He says he is innocent and was trying to get the drugs away from his husband.
Adding to his troubles is the fact that Garcia-Campos is HIV positive. Advocates for his release say he would face discrimination and have poor access to health care in his native Venezuela.
The decision to release Garcia-Campos came Tuesday in Tacoma Immigration Court, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
"We presented over 200 pages of supporting documents to the court to establish Mr. Garcia was not a flight risk and danger to the community," Shamloo wrote in an email to WW. "[The] decision to grant bond is a testament to the strength of Mr. Garcia's case even with the government's objections."