A well-known Live Oak County artist is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after a traffic stop, despite having an active asylum case and a valid work permit.
Jose Leal, who came to the U.S. from Venezuela several years ago, quickly earned his place in the small community of Three Rivers for his artistic flair. However, his work is now on hold after he was pulled over for a traffic violation last Friday and subsequently handed over to immigration officials.
His wife, Francis Campos, said Leal's asylum case stems from violence in his home country. She said her husband has a work permit that is valid until 2027, recently received his Social Security number, and has no criminal record.
"He has an active asylum case, yet they aren't respecting the fact that he has an asylum process underway—or anything of the sort," Campos said.
Campos said her husband consistently followed all immigration requirements, including monthly trips to Houston for check-ins.
"He never missed a single scheduled check-in with ICE. Despite all the challenges, he always complied with every requirement—including making all his scheduled phone calls. Every month we had to go to Houston; he was always present," Campos said.
Campos now fears the worst for her husband, who she said is just here to work, paint, live the American dream, and share his passion for art.
"Depressed. We don't know what is going to happen to him. We have called, we have done everything, and they say that once they fall into immigration, there is nothing to do because they do whatever they want," Campos said.
"I feel sad. Yes, I feel disappointed because I was doing things right. But oh well, that's just how things are," Leal said.
Leal's supporters say they are continuing to push for answers and work to get him back home.
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