Roberto Hernandez Vargas, a 62-year-old father with no criminal record, has been detained in New Mexico for nearly four months following a traffic stop on January 5. Before his arrest, Hernandez had lived in the U.S. for nearly three decades and was in the process of applying for permanent residency with the sponsorship of his son, Roberto Hernandez, Jr., a detective with the Minneapolis Police Department.
“I don’t know why they treat us like this,” Hernandez said in a recent interview from the detention center. “We aren’t criminals. No one here has committed a crime.”
Hernandez was apprehended during Operation Metro Surge, an initiative by the Trump administration that deployed thousands of immigration officers across Minnesota. Despite having no warrants or orders for removal, Hernandez was stopped while driving to his job at the Trail Stop Tavern in Eagan. ICE agents approached his vehicle, and after initially declining to exit, he was ultimately coerced into stepping out under the pretense of a record check.
U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud noted “compelling evidence” of racial profiling during the operation. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara also commented on the bias, stating, “They’re not stopping family members of folks who are Norwegian or Irish.”
Hernandez was taken to a detention facility in Texas before being transferred to New Mexico, where he has faced multiple challenges, including denied bond requests. His attorney, Rachel Engebretson, criticized the arrest, stating, “It’s absurd the agency took somebody into custody without a warrant or probable cause.”
Hernandez Jr. expressed his frustration, saying, “My father is not the worst of the worst.” He worries about the potential impact of deportation on his family, particularly on his mother, who relies on his father for care due to her medical issues.
“This is a great country here in the U.S. It’s a great country that gives opportunities,” Hernandez Jr. said. “I’m praying that He’ll get my dad out of this situation.”
