We reported last week on now ICE abducted Villamizar Rojas Álvaro de Jesús from the Red Rock Inn & Suites in Hibbing. It has since come out that Villamizar had legal documents to worker in the United States.
His papers indicated that he was authorized to work in the U.S. from March 2024 until August 2025. And he was already making plans to return to his home country of Venezuela before his papers expired. In a blatantly illegal act, Immigration, Customs & Enforcement agents abducted him anyways. And to date they have not released him, and are refusing to share where he is being held.
This is the second time in a row that ICE has done this. They did the same thing back on May 1st when they abducted two roofing workers in the Duluth Heights neighborhood, one of whom was a U.S. citizen, the other had legal papers allowing him to work in this country. In that instance, after several days, both workers were released.
This suggests that ICE is engaging in blatant racism - grabbing workers without doing any investigation whenever some local racist calls in saying they've spotted a brown skin worker.
We demand that Villamizar be released, and compensated for this outrageous travesty. And we call for criminal charges to be filed against the ICE bureaucrats who are authorizing these blatantly illegal kidnappings. These workers are being treated as nothing more than props in a reactionary political theater.
Since Villamizar's abduction from Hibbing, the community has rallied in his defense. A local community group that he worked with, Building Men and Women for A Change, has been particularly vocal. And a gofundme campaign has been launched to help Villamizar land on his feet. Please donate if you can. We commend Terry Parnham for raising awareness about this case and recommend folks follow their facebbok page for updates.
And please join us in the growing movement to demand the abolition of I.C.E. and compensation to its victims. An injury to one, is an injury to all! Workers of the World, Unite!
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Below is a statement by Building Men and Women for a Change that outlines more detail of what happened to Villamizar after he agreed to "self-deport":
Exposing the Truth — Self-Deportation Is a Trap
We want to speak clearly and directly to our community today:
The so-called “self-deportation policy” is not mercy. It is not humane. It is a trap.
We now know this firsthand because Alvaro Villamizar—our brother, our friend, our community member—is caught in it.
Alvaro, a Venezuelan man who came to this country seeking safety from violence and collapse, was told by ICE officials that if he agreed to self-deport, they would allow him time to gather his affairs and leave on his own terms. He complied. He told them he would return to Venezuela and was given a date to report: August 5, 2025. He was even told to show up with his plane ticket.
But less than 48 hours after that conversation—before he could even purchase his ticket—they came and detained him.
Let me not forget: Alvaro had a pending asylum application—an active, valid legal process that had not been ruled on.
And let’s not forget: his work permit was still valid.
He was legally in the system. He was doing everything by the book. He was playing by the rules. And they still came for him.
This is what we want you all to understand:
“Project Homecoming” is not a policy — it’s a setup.
• It is designed to make people think they have a say in their departure.
• It uses the illusion of dignity and cooperation to hide the machinery of forced deportation.
• It manipulates people’s fear and hope to speed up removals without public outrage.
This is exactly what is happening to Alvaro.
He’s not just being deported.
He’s being betrayed.
Let us be clear:
Alvaro has no criminal record. He’s not a threat. He’s a survivor of a country in crisis, a contributor to our community, and a human being deserving of dignity and protection.
What happened to him is a warning to us all:
This system is not built on justice.
It is built on control. It is built on fear.
And now, it’s wearing a mask of choice—self-deportation—when the reality is anything but.
BMWC stands firmly behind Alvaro Villamizar and others like him.
We call on our representatives and the public to:
Investigate ICE’s handling of “self-deportation” agreements
Hold federal officials accountable for deceitful detention tactics
Demand protection for vulnerable immigrants, especially from countries like Venezuela
Provide transparency on how CBP Home and Project Homecoming are truly operating
This is not just about immigration.
It’s about truth.
It’s about integrity.
And it’s about the kind of nation we are allowing ourselves to become.
Self-deportation is not a policy. It’s a game. A cruel, orchestrated lie designed to fast-track deportations with minimal resistance.
But BMWC sees through it—and we will not stay silent.
Stay tuned for more updates. We are continuing to fight for Alvaro, and for the truth.
Building Men and Women for a Change
218-996-5051
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