Elder Chavez Carranza, an 18-year-old granted Special Immigrant Juvenile classification, has been held at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana for more than 200 days after being stopped by police while buying food. Although USCIS approved his SIJ classification, a deferred-action request that could allow him to remain in the U.S. remains unresolved. Family members and advocates are pushing for his release while DHS says he will remain in custody pending immigration proceedings. The case raises broader concerns about prolonged detention and conditions at the Winn facility, where two recent deaths are under investigation.
18-Year-Old With Approved SIJ Status Held In ICE Custody More Than 200 Days
ABC News - PHOTO: Elder Chavez Carranza smiles while speaking with ABC News during a video call from immigration detention in Louisiana.
Elder Chavez Carranza expected his final year of high school to be about graduation, prom and planning his future. Instead, the 18-year-old has spent more than 200 days in immigration detention at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, separated from his family in Albertville, Alabama.
How He Ended Up in Custody
Chavez Carranza, who was born in Copan, Honduras, entered the United States at age 14. His lawyer says he was granted Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification as a minor — a humanitarian designation for children found to have been abused, abandoned or neglected.
Maryuri Chavez Carranza - PHOTO: Elder Chavez Carranza, seen here in this undated family photo, said he was stopped by a police officer while on his way to buy a torta, questioned about his identification and immigration status, and later taken into ICE custody.
According to his account to ABC News, he was stopped while walking to buy food. After telling a police officer he did not have identification, the officer called immigration authorities. Chavez Carranza says he told agents he had SIJ status but was taken into custody before he could show paperwork.
"I was going to buy a torta when the officer stopped me. He first asked me for my ID and whether I had papers. I told him, 'no.' Then he called ICE... They didn't even give me time to show them my papers. They just took me away," Chavez Carranza said by video call from detention.
Legal Status and Ongoing Proceedings
Attorney Dalaney Mecham says USCIS has approved Chavez Carranza's SIJ classification. A separate deferred-action request — which could allow him to remain in the U.S. while pursuing the next steps toward lawful permanent residence — remains unresolved.
Gerald Herbert/AP Photo, FILE - PHOTO: In this April 9, 2025, file photo, the Winn Correctional Center, an ICE detention facility, is seen in this aerial photo in Winnfield, La.
Mecham said, "The federal government has already decided that he deserves protection... USCIS has already looked at his application and approved it. The only thing standing between him and that protection while he waits for his lawful process to continue is the very same government that created this pathway."
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told ABC News that Chavez Carranza "will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings" and that he "will receive full due process." The statement also recommended the CBP Home App for voluntary departures.
Maryuri Chavez Carranza - PHOTO: Elder Chavez Carranza, seen in this undated family photo, has been held at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana for more than 200 days while his immigration case remains pending.
Family, Advocates and Conditions at Winn
For roughly nine months, Chavez Carranza has been detained at the Winn Correctional Center, separated from his sister and legal guardian, Maryuri Chavez Carranza, and from his school and friends. Maryuri says he calls every day and tells her he misses his teachers and classmates.
Immigration advocate Angela Del Valle became involved after her husband met Chavez Carranza at the facility. Del Valle says she now helps the family navigate detention procedures and regularly speaks with the teen.
Advocates and lawmakers have raised concerns about conditions at Winn: in less than two months, two detainees died there. DHS says the deaths are under investigation and has defended detainee treatment.
Life Inside Detention
Chavez Carranza says he initially felt isolated at Winn but has formed friendships with other detainees, including a man named Carlos, who he says looks out for him. He performs work unloading trucks at the facility and relies on his faith to endure each day.
"What I ask for most right now is for God to give me strength so I can keep enduring this confinement. It's very difficult here," he said.
Why This Matters: The case highlights tensions between immigration enforcement and humanitarian protections like SIJ, raises questions about detention of youth with approved immigrant protections, and spotlights concerns about conditions at detention facilities.
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