U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Venezuelan family of three while they were attempting to seek medical treatment for their 7-year-old child in Portland, Oregon, on January 16, 2026. Yohendry De Jesus Crespo and Darianny Liseth Gonzalez de Crespo were detained alongside their daughter while en route to Adventist Health Portland, a move that has sparked intense condemnation from state leaders and medical professionals.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the family entered the country in 2024 and stated that asylum applications do not preclude mandatory detention under the current administration’s “rule of law” enforcement. While the family is now being held in Texas, Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Nurses Association have blasted the action as “unconscionable,” warning that detaining families at hospitals creates a chilling effect on public health.
