IT Contractor Approved for Border Patrol Job Arrested Upon Arrival, Detained for 30 Days

An IT specialist hired to perform work at a South Florida Border Patrol facility says he was arrested by the very agency that approved his entry, leading to a month-long detention despite having no criminal record.

Angel Camacho, a Venezuelan asylum seeker and systems engineer, was contracted to conduct a site survey at the Dania Beach Border Patrol station. His employer submitted his identification in advance, and an email from Customs and Border Protection confirmed he was cleared to enter.

When Camacho arrived for work, he was detained instead.

Camacho has lived in the United States since 2016, holds a valid work permit, pays taxes, and is married to a U.S. citizen with whom he is raising American-born children. However, because he does not yet have permanent legal status, he was taken into custody during a period of intensified immigration enforcement.

He spent one night in Border Patrol holding cells before being transferred to an Everglades detention facility, commonly referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” where he remained for 30 days. Camacho described the conditions as frightening and said he was housed alongside individuals with serious criminal histories.

Data reviewed by NBC6 Investigates shows that many detainees held at the facility have no criminal convictions, a trend that has led to a surge in federal court challenges. Immigration attorneys report a sharp increase in habeas corpus petitions as more detainees are denied bond hearings.

Camacho was ultimately granted a bond hearing due to his lawful entry into the U.S. and was released after posting $5,000 bond. He now wears an ankle monitor while his immigration case continues.

Customs and Border Protection did not respond to questions about why Camacho was detained after being approved for work.