Colombian Congresswoman Angela Vergara on Wednesday urged the Colombian government to assist in repatriating its citizens detained in the United States after her son was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Vergara, who belongs to the pro-Donald Trump Conservative Party, revealed last Friday that her 22-year-old son, Rafael Alonso Vergara, had been held by U.S. immigration authorities for more than two weeks.
She later addressed a letter to Colombian President Gustavo Petro calling for immediate measures to support Colombians detained by ICE, prompting backlash from critics who pointed to her party’s backing of Trump.
“Today we ask the government for a clear and URGENT response to the request made by 30 congresspeople from all parties to address the serious humanitarian crisis faced by hundreds of Colombians deprived of their liberty in the United States,” wrote Vergara on her X account on Wednesday.
Angela Vergara, trumpista colombiana, congresista de extrema derecha, celebraba cuando el ICE detenía en EEUU a sus propios compatriotas.
— Abraham Mendieta (@abrahamendieta) February 14, 2026
Pero hace 18 días, el ICE secuestró a su hijo, y hoy ya no le parece divertida la crueldad que tanto aplaudió.
pic.twitter.com/5zaF1O1wJo
Along with the post, she shared an image of a letter addressed to Petro, Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, and the commander of the Colombian Air Force. The letter requested that the air force organize a “humanitarian flight” to bring detained citizens back to Colombia.
Last week, Vergara stated that her son had spent 18 days in ICE custody after being stopped at a traffic checkpoint in Louisiana.
“For weeks now, I have been experiencing what thousands of Colombians have suffered over the past year,” wrote the congresswoman on X. “I raise my voice in the name of humanity for the families who are suffering without help; for Colombians who are treated like criminals today without being so.”
She maintained that her son legally entered the United States in 2022 and was “not undocumented.”
Her public appeal, however, triggered criticism and ridicule from various sectors of Colombian society, who underscored her alignment with Trumpism.
The Conservative Party had celebrated Trump’s 2024 election victory after a campaign during which he promised sweeping deportations.
Vergara is widely viewed as closely connected to the MAGA wing of U.S. politics. She is part of the anti-abortion caucus in the Colombian congress and publicly expressed sorrow over the death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk last September.
At the same time, she has faced claims accusing her of leading a movement known as “Latinas for Trump” and of advocating for U.S. intervention in Colombia. Petro himself circulated a video of a woman wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat, identifying her as Vergara.
Responding to accusations that she shifted her position after her son’s detention, the congresswoman wrote: “Denouncing injustice is not hypocrisy; it is consistency and dignity. Insults are no substitute for facts.”
