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Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson defended the
deportation of a West Liberty man
who was sent to Guatemala earlier this week, despite not having a criminal record and having consistently complied with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requirements.
Pascual Pedro, a 20-year-old West Liberty resident and former high school soccer player was
detained last Tuesday
at a regular check-in with ICE. Pedro was
deported less than a week later
, just before his lawyer attempted to file a request for a stay of removal.
Pedro came to the United States from Guatemala when he was 13, with his father who was later deported. He stayed under supervised release in West Liberty with his grandparents, who have lived in the U.S. since the 1990s, and attended annual check-in appointments with ICE. He was well-known in his community, playing soccer for the West Liberty High School team and working for his grandfather’s siding company with a work permit.
His deportation has prompted protests throughout Eastern Iowa. On Wednesday, community members
gathered outside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security office in Cedar Rapids
with demands to “Bring Him Back.”
On Thursday, protesters showed up at the Davenport Congressional Office building. They visited the offices of U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, where they spoke with congressional staff to urge the elected officials to bring Pedro back to the United States.
Outside, supporters, friends and family of Pedro’s — including Father Guillermo Treviño Jr., the parish priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church in West Liberty, and Pedro’s grandfather, Francisco Pedro — spoke about Pascual’s deportation.
Hinson, of Marion, said the lack of a criminal record does not prevent people in the country without legal status who are eligible for deportation from being deported.
“First of all, I’ve been very clear the President is focused on making sure we’re deporting criminals first. I think that should be a priority,” Hinson said Thursday during a weekly conference call with Iowa reporters when asked about protests over Pedro’s removal.
“But that doesn’t mean that people who are here illegally, who are eligible for deportation, should not be deported,” she continued. “And my understanding with that case specifically is that there was a deportation order for him, and so I believe he has had due process.”
Despite having a clean record and a life built in Iowa, Pedro had been given a final order of deportation when he first arrived and was in the country conditionally. As a result, he lacked options to seek citizenship or permanent residency, and those he did have, he didn’t know about, according to family members.
Hinson added “there are many mechanisms for people to self deport” and use a mobile app “to come back and experience the American dream.”
The Trump administration in May announced it was offering a $1,000 incentive to migrants who “self-deport” using the
CBP Home App
that was once used to seek asylum,
NPR reported
.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration launched Customs and Border Protection One app in 2023. The tool allowed migrants to schedule appointments at designated legal ports of entry instead of crossing along the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum.
This app was a key part of the Biden administration’s strategy to manage border crossings and reduce pressure on the system by creating temporary legal pathways under an authority known as humanitarian parole.
The Trump administration quickly dismantled that policy, canceling asylum
appointments on the app
, and launching a new effort in April that urged migrants to leave immediately using the rebranded app.
The administration is hoping that migrants would rather leave the country voluntarily than risk being arrested by immigration officials and face a fine.
Immigrant advocates, however, are skeptical those who self-deport will eventually be able to apply for legal status, as the administration has suggested.
“I would encourage people to look into what the Department of Homeland Security is offering there, because again, the No. 1 issue I heard about (while campaigning ahead of the 2024 election) is the border and safety and making sure we’re deporting people who are not here legally,” Hinson said. “So that is something that I continue to support, and I support the president in his efforts here.”
Emily Andersen of The Gazette contributed to this report.
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