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Source: Fox News
Summary
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandra Núñez Mullin responded to criticism from Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico over the deportation of a 5-year-old boy, Liam Tadeo, and his father, Victor Martinez Nieto. The pair were detained in Austin, Texas, while traveling to a soccer match. Talarico said Liam should have started kindergarten instead of being deported. Mullin stated the father requested the deportation and denied family separation. The boy and his father were held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Martinez Nieto had previously been deported in 2025 and re-entered the U.S. illegally.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
Talarico criticizes the deportation of a child.
Mullin defends the process and says the father asked for removal.
The boy and his father were held together.
Deportations continue as a recurring moment in political debates.
Author: Evan Null
Homeland Security Secretary’s Response
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandra Núñez Mullin addressed criticism from Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico regarding the deportation of a young boy and his father. Talarico had highlighted the case as part of his criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Mullin denied that families were separated, stating that the father requested the deportation of both himself and his son.
Deportation of a Young Boy and His Father
The father, Victor Martinez Nieto, and his 5-year-old son, Liam Tadeo, were detained by federal immigration authorities in Austin, Texas, while on their way to a soccer match. The pair were later deported. Talarico criticized the action, stating that Liam should have been starting kindergarten instead of being deported. The boy was scheduled to begin school this week.
Political Criticism and Public Response
James Talarico, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Texas, used the case to criticize the administration’s immigration enforcement. He accused the government of kidnapping the child and placing him in a detention facility far from home. Talarico posted on social media that the boy should have been in a classroom, not in a detention center.
Homeland Security’s Defense of Deportation Policies
Mullin defended the process, stating that parents are responsible for the outcomes of their actions. She emphasized that ICE does not separate families and that parents are given the option to be deported with their children or have them placed with a designated person. In this case, both the father and son were deported together.
Context of the Deportation
The father and son were held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Martinez Nieto had been arrested by immigration officers in November 2025 and deported in February. He later re-entered the U.S. illegally, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Fox News Digital has reached out to the family’s attorney for further details.
