The story of a Colombian asylum seeker has once again sparked debate about the treatment of people in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States.

And according to the wife of Juan Eduardo Pineda Norena, to the media Newsweek, since his Her husband was arrested in July and has not received the medical attention he needs for his asthma and other health problems. Since its release, the case has also raised questions about due process in immigration proceedings.

Arrest in the Middle of a Routine Job

According to Newsweek, Juan Eduardo Pineda Norena, 32, was arrested on July 15, 2025, in Summit, New Jersey, as he was leaving his job as a plumber.

According to his wife, Manuela Florez, ICE agents intercepted him in the parking lot without allowing him to communicate with his family or immediately explaining the reasons for his arrest. She maintains that her husband has no criminal record and that he had an active asylum case, a work permit, and a Social Security number.

The Colombian had arrived in the United States in October 2022, under humanitarian parole. Since then, he complied with the immigration agency's requirements, while his family in Colombia faced threats from armed groups and some of his relatives took refuge in Spain.

After his initial detention at the Elizabeth Center in New Jersey, Pineda was transferred to the Pine Prairie Detention Center in Louisiana. According to Florez, the change came without prior notice, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his case.

Conditions under scrutiny and legal dispute

His wife claims that the conditions at the detention center are "inhumane," with overcrowding forcing dozens of people to sleep on the floor without bedding. She says Pineda has been denied medication for his asthma, treatment for pain from recent back surgery, and care for a persistent fever.

Florez also alleges that ICE is using a deportation order issued in 2022, prior to her asylum application and permit granting, which she claims ignores her current legal status. She claims her husband has no hearing scheduled and that she fears imminent deportation. She also accuses agents of pressuring detainees to sign documents without allowing them to read them. He is deteriorating physically and emotionally, Florez told Newsweek, emphasizing that her husband came to the country to flee danger and work with dignity, but now feels punished and silenced by the immigration system. Continue reading: The mother of the 15-year-old Hispanic teenager arrested by ICE speaks out: He hugged me crying. A Los Angeles high school student is arrested by ICE. The wife of an immigrant was speaking to him on the phone when ICE arrested him.