Venezuelan released from ICE detention: ‘I am still grateful to be in this country'

After being held by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for nearly a week, a Venezuelan man who was detained in Whitefish and sent to an out-of-state facility was released Wednesday evening with no explanation, the Montana State News Bureau has learned.

What started as a traffic stop on Whitefish’s Highway 93 turned into a days-long stint in federal custody and a “terrifying” experience for Beker Rengifo del Castillo, who arrived in the country last year under a legal immigration status.

He spent at least four nights in the ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington, before being told he could leave Wednesday around 6 p.m. with no further explanation about his detainment.

Andrea Sweeney, a Missoula-based immigration attorney representing Rengifo, who called the detention "unlawful," confirmed that federal authorities had given no explanation as to why he had been taken into custody. She did not get a heads up that he was set to be released, and there had been no charges filed.

“We’re all just scratching our heads this morning and wondering what happened,” Sweeney said on Thursday.

Rengifo told the Montana State News Bureau on Wednesday evening he was surprised when one of the officers inside the detention center told him he was free to go. He was given a bag with his clothing, but his driver’s license and other documents were not immediately returned at that time, he said.

“I was very scared,” Rengifo said. “I was nervous about what would happen.” (Interviews were conducted in Spanish and translated into English for publication.)

ICE did not respond to requests for comment about why Rengifo had been released or why he was detained in the first place.

Rengifo was pulled over on April 24 by the Whitefish Police Department while driving home from work. An incident report from the law enforcement agency says it was a “traffic stop,” but provides no further details. According to Rengifo, his attorney and an eyewitness, law enforcement officials said the original pullover was due to a broken tail light.

Whitefish PD did not respond to requests to provide additional detail on the nature of the stop.

An online database run by ICE registered Rengifo as being in federal custody starting last Friday; there was no record of his ever being held Wednesday evening within hours of his release.

Immigration authorities did not respond to questions about whether erasure of a person’s record is typical practice or if any information about his case is available to the public.

Documents show Rengifo came legally to the United States through a Biden-era humanitarian parole program set aside for Venezuelans and migrants from three other countries. The Trump White House tried to revoke this status through an executive order, but a federal judge halted the measure, meaning humanitarian parolees are still legally allowed to be in the country.

The Department of Homeland Security granted Rengifo’s application for work authorization on Aug. 13, 2024, giving him permission to work in the country until July 14, 2026, and other documents reveal Rengifo had a pending asylum application and had been scheduled for a biometrics appointment — an early step in that process — the same week he was detained.

A relative of Rengifo, whose name is being kept private for fear of retaliation, said the experience has made him think there is “no guarantee” that having all the right documents will protect someone from being scooped up by federal immigration authorities.

“But if I stay home because of the fear, I can’t make any money,” he said, noting he has family to take care of in Montana and back in Venezuela.

As reported by the Montana State News Bureau last week, text messages from Rengifo around the time of the WPD stop suggest the police called border patrol officers within minutes of pulling him over.

Law enforcement agencies are required to provide translation services to people who don’t speak English, and local immigration authorities are considered a suitable option for doing so.

Immigration has become a focal point of the Trump Administration since it took over earlier this year, and that rhetoric has made its way to the Flathead Valley, where a flurry of arrests made in recent weeks have put more eyes on immigrants in the community.

According to Rengifo, he was handed off to Whitefish Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before being transported in the back of a vehicle from Whitefish to Tacoma by way of two other detention sites. They picked up other detainees along the way, reaching a total of six people headed to the federal ICE facility in Tacoma, he said.

During the roughly day-long trip, Rengifo said he was not given any food or water.

“The thirst was the worst,” Rengifo said. “There were too many thoughts going through my head to be hungry.”

He recalls feeling “scared” and “desperate” because he didn’t know what would happen or if he’d be sent back to Venezuela. Rengifo couldn’t speak with his family there or his relatives who live in Montana, he said.

Neither CBP nor ICE responded to questions about the conditions.

Washington resident Jane Gill caught wind of what had happened through social media and some personal connections she has in the Flathead Valley. Though she had never met Rengifo, Gill was “so appalled” at the situation that she decided to go visit Rengifo in the ICE center.

She was able to visit twice, speaking to Rengifo from the other side of a plastic barrier with the help of a translator from a local advocacy group.

Gill said Rengifo looked “scared and perplexed” the first time they met, even worse for wear after a night spent up with stomach pain and vomiting. But by the second day, Gill noticed he was a bit more upbeat, having had the chance to change clothes and eat food.

News of Rengifo’s release surprised Gill, who hustled over to the detention facility. They celebrated at McDonald's, where Rengifo ordered a combo meal and lemonade.

Rengifo intends to make his way back to Whitefish in the next couple days, but things will be different. He hopes to get a new job closer to where he lives because he’s “very afraid” he’ll get stopped by the police again. (Rengifo lives in Kalispell but would drive to his construction job in Whitefish most days).

“Even with everything that has happened, I am still grateful to be in this country,” he said.