CLEVELAND — A Cleveland father has been behind bars since mid-July after immigration officers took him from his home in front of his three young daughters.
Family and church leaders say Alex Millan followed the rules when he entered the United States, but now he’s caught in the middle of a paused government program and facing the possibility of being sent back to Venezuela.
Millan came to the U.S. through CBP One, a Biden administration mobile app created to give migrants fleeing violence a legal way to schedule appointments at the border. The program allowed them to wait inside the U.S. for a judge to decide if returning home would be safe.
That program is now on hold, leaving Millan and others like him in limbo.
“It’s enough. We don’t want to see families separated,” said Rev. Luis Vizcarrondo, who described the July morning when Millan was taken from his home after dropping off his wife at work.
Immigration attorney Jath Shao said he fled Venezuela because of political persecution.
“Alex came from Venezuela because he felt that it was dangerous in Venezuela for him for political reasons.," Shao said. "Now he’s a prisoner in America for political reasons. Which is a little bit ironic.”
Ohio State Rep. Gary Click, who is not involved and does not know the details of Millan’s case, said immigrants must enter through legal channels.
“While we welcome our immigrants, we want our immigrants to come in legally. There’s a front door and there’s a back door, and we want them to come in the front door,” Click said.
Millan’s supporters argue that’s exactly what he did, and that the door has since been shut.
His case will be heard in November. A judge will not decide whether he can stay in the U.S., but instead whether it would be safe for him to return to Venezuela.
Millan’s family and legal team are also pushing for a bond hearing, so he can wait at home with his wife and daughters.
For now, Millan remains behind bars. His family remains at home without him and his community says it will keep waiting and praying for answers.
