Detroit, MI –
Maykol Bogoya Duarte, an 18-year-old high school senior in Detroit, is at the center of an intensifying immigration battle after being detained by Border Patrol during a school-related outing last month. With only a few credits left to graduate, Duarte is pleading for the opportunity to complete his education before facing removal from the U.S. — a request that has garnered support from advocates and Michigan lawmakers.
Duarte, originally from Colombia, was stopped on May 20 by a Rockwood police officer while en route to a Downriver park in southern Michigan. The officer, driving an unmarked vehicle, accused Duarte of tailgating. According to a police report reviewed by the Detroit Free Press, the officer called Border Patrol due to a “language barrier.” Duarte was subsequently taken into federal custody and transferred five hours north to an ICE detention facility in Sault Ste. Marie, before being moved to the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana, a known staging site for deportations.
Urgent Appeal to Stay Deportation
Duarte’s attorney, Ruby Robinson of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, confirmed on June 9 that ICE had notified Duarte that his deportation was imminent. Robinson said an emergency application to stay the removal was filed with the Detroit ICE office that same day, requesting that Duarte be allowed to finish high school. “He has three and a half credits left,” Robinson said. “We think he’ll be able to finish that before the end of the year.”
As of June 10, there has been no official response from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to media requests for comment.
Community and Political Support Grows
The case has drawn public attention from immigrant advocacy groups and Detroit’s two U.S. Representatives, who have expressed concern over the situation and called for Duarte’s immediate release.
“He is not a threat. He is a student with a dream — a diploma,” said a spokesperson for one of the lawmakers. Local immigrant support organizations say Duarte’s case underscores the broader issue of aggressive immigration enforcement targeting young immigrants, particularly those in school or with no criminal record.
“This is a tragic example of how quickly a minor traffic incident can spiral into a life-altering immigration arrest,” said Erika Andiola, a national immigrants’ rights advocate. “Maykol should be in a cap and gown, not a detention cell.”
Legal and Human Rights Concerns
Duarte has no criminal record, but had a prior final order of removal, which CBP cited as justification for detaining him. He has lived in the U.S. for just over a year and a half, and his case illustrates how final deportation orders—often issued without legal counsel or formal hearings—can follow immigrants for years.
Robinson criticized the decision to involve Border Patrol over a minor traffic matter, saying, “Calling federal immigration enforcement because of a language barrier is a dangerous precedent that puts countless others at risk.”
Legal experts also point out that the federal government’s sensitivity to minors in educational settings is being tested. While the Obama-era policy advised ICE to avoid enforcement near schools, the Trump and post-Trump immigration landscape has become more ambiguous.
What Comes Next?
Duarte’s legal team is awaiting a response from ICE as deportation proceedings continue. The young student is currently held over 1,000 miles from Detroit, and his advocates fear he may be placed on a deportation flight alongside other Colombian nationals in the coming days.
As the legal battle continues, supporters are urging ICE to use its discretion to allow Duarte to graduate before any removal.
