A story meant to attack President Trump’s immigration policies has collapsed after being exposed as a complete fabrication.
Earlier this month, left-wing media outlets reported that Luis Leon, an 82-year-old Chilean immigrant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was arrested by ICE while trying to replace a lost green card. His family claimed he was detained without explanation, secretly deported to Guatemala, and possibly even died in custody.
But after multiple twists and conflicting statements, the entire story has unraveled.
What the Family Claimed
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Leon was arrested June 20 during a Philadelphia green card appointment.
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His wife was detained for 10 hours and later released.
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The family claimed Leon had either died or was hospitalized in Guatemala.
The Morning Call ran multiple stories pushing the narrative — including photos falsely claimed to be Leon, provided by someone alleging to be his granddaughter.
Guatemala: He Never Entered the Country
On July 21, Guatemala’s Migration Institute confirmed it had no record of Luis Leon ever entering the country. It also said no South Americans had been deported there by ICE at that time.
DHS: He Was Never Arrested or Deported
The Department of Homeland Security backed that up:
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No record of Leon attending a green card appointment in Philadelphia on June 20
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No ICE arrest
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No deportation
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The only U.S. entry on file was in 2015 under the visa waiver program
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No record of any asylum granted in the 1980s
Twist: Leon Died in 2019
Then came the biggest reveal: Chilean journalist José María del Pino uncovered a death certificate showing that Luis Leon died in Chile in 2019. The name, birthdate, and Chilean national ID number matched exactly.
Summary of the Hoax
Fox News’ Bill Melugin laid out the timeline:
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The man was never at the ICE office.
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The family lied about him being in a Guatemalan hospital.
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No medical facility in Guatemala had records of him.
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The photos used were of someone who died in 2021.
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The family went dark after their claims were debunked.
“It appears another hoax has been attempted,” Melugin reported.
Media Failed to Verify Basic Facts
The Morning Call never confirmed whether Leon was even alive. Instead, they ran with unverified claims and published fake photos—all to push an anti-Trump narrative.
