TCU student deported to El Salvador after June arrest in Arlington
TCU student deported after June arrest
ICE tells FOX 4 a TCU student was deported to El Salvador after he was arrested in late June. FOX 4's Lori Brown has more.
ARLINGTON, Texas - ICE says a TCU student was deported this month after a June arrest in Arlington.
TCU student deported
Luis Andrade, 20
What we know:
20-year-old Luis Andrade was deported by ICE to El Salvador on July 21, the agency confirmed to FOX 4.
Andrade was deported less than a month after he was arrested in Arlington for public lewdness and resisting arrest.
He spent 11 days in ICE detention before his deportation.
ICE tells FOX 4 that Andrade entered the United States in 2009 when he was three-years-old. An immigration judge ordered his removal in March 2010.
What they're saying:
"Attending school in the United States does not confer lawful immigration status. The fact remains that Andrade-Garcia was present in the country illegally, never took steps to obtain legal status - including failing to apply for DACA - and was arrested for committing criminal offenses," ICE said in a statement to FOX 4.
"Enforcing immigration law is not optional and is essential to protecting America’s national security, public safety, and economic strength. Operations are conducted lawfully within the authority granted to immigration officers under Title 8."
"If a person enters our country illegally, they are subject to detention or deportation. Each illegal alien receives due process."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal stands at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
Andrade was valedictorian of his high school class in 2024 at Sam Houston High School in Arlington.
In his speech, Andrade detailed the journey his family took from El Salvador to Guatemala and Mexico to reach the United States.
"Like the United States preached manifest destiny as immigrants, we march like Columbia triumphs her way westward. In pursuit of this dream called the American Dream," Andrade said in his speech.
Luis Andrade (CTSY: Sam Houston High School)
Jaime Vasquez, Andrade's high school cross-country coach, called him a "compassionate, engaged citizen."
"It is fitting to recognize a shining example among you who has not only excelled academically but has inspired many of you with his leadership and commitment," Vasquez said.
Andrade's fraternity started a GoFundMe to pay for his legal fees.
Deportation numbers rising
What they're saying:
"Unfortunately, this is happening across the country."
Eric Cedillo, an immigration attorney and law professor at SMU, tells FOX 4's Lori Brown that Andrade's deportation shows how strict immigration rules are at the moment.
Cedillo also thinks that, based on his quick removal from the U.S., Andrade chose voluntary deportation instead of detention.
Eric Cedillo
"It's a situation where he probably had no relief in the country. They probably offered him voluntary departure. And the ramifications of being deported as opposed to voluntary departure can be huge for any type of return from his home country," Cedillo said.
"If you don't, and you stay, we're going to keep you in detention holding for the months that it takes to get to a hearing, then ultimately you may not be successful."
Recent data from ICE shows that more than 350,000 people have been deported from the United States since Oct. 2025.
The Source: Information in this story comes from ICE and an interview with an immigration attorney.