Kashike said her son was not a gang affiliation and had joined the United States in late 2023 to seek asylum after working in Peru for several years to support his family. During his journey north, he was injured in Mexico after falling off a train, she said.
Garcia, who handed over to US border authorities, was detained in a routine appearance before immigration officers last year after finding his tattoo, Kashik said.
The tattoo she calls it, including the crown, which includes the Spanish word “peace,” and the names of his mother, grandmother and sisters, led authorities to place Garcia during the investigation and label him as a suspected member of Tren de Aragua.
Garcia stayed at the Dallas detention center for two months, his mother said, but the judge ultimately determined he would not pose a risk and allowed him to be released as long as he was wearing electronics to track his movements.
The New York Times could not independently confirm the reason why he was taken into custody and released.
Garcia was worried after Trump took office this year, but Kasik remembered that he told his son there was nothing to fear. The administration said it would chase criminals first.
However, on February 6th, authorities arrived at Garcia’s door and took him into custody.
“I told him that he wasn’t a criminal and that at best they would banish him,” Kashik said. “But I was very naive. I thought the law would protect him.”
Gabriel Labrador contributed to the report from El Salvador’s San Salvador.
