Venezuelan man, who came to U.S. legally, says ICE detainment was "psychological torture"

Throughout Operation Metro Surge, WCCO heard from many asylum seekers who say they were detained despite following all legal procedures. A Venezuelan college professor says he is a victim of this.

Juan Carlos Barreto was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at his Shakopee, Minnesota, apartment in January. He's back home, but an ankle monitor leaves him with questions.

"I'm double scared. I can't go back to Venezuela," said Barreto in an interview translated from Spanish to English. "I'm afraid of the storm here in the United States."

Barreto comes from Ukrainian descent. He says his humanitarian work got to be too dangerous under Nicolas Maduro's regime. That's what brought him, his wife and his 14-year-old ultimately to Minnesota.

"We came here legally with a visa," said Barreto. 

Everything changed on Jan. 16. He says ICE followed him home while driving. 

"They broke in aggressively and almost hit my car," Barreto said. "I was locked in a room for eight hours without food and water."

He ended up spending time in the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, with no contact with his family.

"They wanted me to sign for my deportation. For a lot of hours, it was psychological torture," said Barreto. 

That weekend, Barreto says he was put on a plane to Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas.

"We had handcuffs on our feet and wrists," said Barreto. He spent 14 days at the facility. 

"I know people that were there for four, five, six months waiting for an answer," Barreto added.

He says once his lawyer helped get him released, the flight back wasn't provided. He can't put words to the moment he got to hug his family again.

During Operation Metro Surge, WCCO asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for its reasoning for detaining those we would report on. Most times, WCCO would receive a response. We've asked them about Juan Carlos' case several times since Jan. 17, and have yet to receive an answer.

"I'm under supervision and have an ankle monitor. I'm limited. They said I can't leave Minnesota," said Barreto.

Despite having no criminal record and having multiple hearings about his case, he and his family continue to wait.

"I need an answer from the United States," he said. "My story is just one of many people."