Father Living in US for 30 Years Detained by ICE Over Driver’s License

A father of eight and longtime resident of the United States was detained by federal immigration authorities after a traffic hearing, his daughter has told Newsweek.

After a hearing in Frederick, Maryland, for driving on a suspended license, Alexi Canas was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 12, despite having lived in the country for more than three decades.

The 49-year-old was set to serve a brief two-day restitution sentence related to the infraction. One day after he was taken into custody, ICE filed a detainer and placed an immigration hold on him. According to his family, there had been no prior warnings or encounters with immigration authorities.

Two days later, he was transferred to the Adams County Detention Center in Mississippi—more than 1,000 miles from his home in Maryland.

Newsweek has contacted ICE for comment via email.

The detention has left his wife Reina Fernandez and eight children—ranging in age from 8 to 22—reeling. One of the children has special needs, and all are U.S. citizens.

“The hardest part for the whole family is the absence of his presence. He is the glue that holds our family together, not only financially, but emotionally as well. It has now been a month without him, and it’s getting harder as each day passes,” his oldest daughter, Diana Canas, told Newsweek.

“I have been incredibly depressed without my father here, while trying to act strong for my family. As the oldest child, I’ve been incredibly stressed in the situation as I fight to get my father home and still keep a roof over my family’s head,” she added.

The younger children, still in elementary school, don’t fully understand the situation.

“They voice the fact that they miss him every day, especially while continuing to go to church without him. He tells them to continue to be kids and that everything will be OK,” Diana said.

“A typical day is honestly overwhelming and incredibly sad. He was the primary breadwinner of the family and even with what we came up with, the payments are behind, it is incredibly hard to explain to the kids the situation,” she added.

President Donald Trump has vowed to conduct large-scale deportations as his administration looks to remove millions of immigrants who have no legal status from the country as part of his campaign pledge. The White House has said anyone in the country illegally is a “criminal.”

Alexi has no criminal record beyond minor traffic violations and has never applied for asylum or permanent residency. He first arrived in the U.S. at age 19 from El Salvador after his brother was murdered in a spate of gang violence.

Over the years, Alexi built a life in Maryland, operating a legally licensed and insured home-restoration business that has served hundreds of families in the Washington D.C. area. His clients and colleagues describe him as hardworking, compassionate, and deeply committed to his community.

“My dad is a very hard worker. He works six to seven days a week, up to 100 hours a week. Everyone he works for really respects and values his work ethic and values,” Diana said.

“In some circumstances, his clients have told us about my dad coming to their rescue in times of family emergency, such as deaths in the family, and a life-changing accident,” she said.

As news of his detention spread, community members and clients began rallying together to help. A GoFundMe page, titled “Help Alexi Canas Avoid Deportation and Reunite with Family,” was launched to raise awareness and legal funds.

“He is loved within his community and multiple friends and business associates have stepped up willingly to do everything they can to help him out,” Diana added.

“Alexi helped me immensely after my fiancé passed away last year, and he helped another colleague of mine after he was hit by a dump truck last year,” Brandt Tingen, a family friend, told Newsweek.

Canas has not yet been ordered deported, but the family fears the process is moving quickly and unfairly.

“He does everything in his power to help our family. He has eight American children, one with special needs, who will not know what to do without him,” Diana said.

“The children would want people to know that their dad was the hardest-working person they know. He did everything for his family without ever asking for anything in return.

“He made them laugh with his jokes and goofy sense of humor. He wasn’t just their dad, he was also their protector, their biggest supporter, and their favorite person in the world. He made them feel safe, special and deeply loved every single day. They want everyone to know how proud they are to be his kids.”

As the legal process unfolds, the Canas family continues to fight for Alexi’s release, leaning on their faith, community, and each other for strength. They hope that sharing their story will bring not only awareness but action.

To them, this isn’t just a legal matter—it’s about keeping a father with his children, a husband with his wife, and a man with the only home he’s known for over 30 years.

If you have been impacted by immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump and would like to share your story, please reach out to b.rahman@newsweek.com.