SEAFORD, Del. — A Delaware congresswoman is now adding her voice to calls for the release of a developmentally disabled Sussex County man detained by immigration officials in late 2025.
On Monday, Jan. 26, Rep. Sarah McBride released a statement after an immigration judge reportedly handed down an order last week to deport Victor Acurio Suárez, a decision she calls “morally bankrupt.”
McBride says Victor Acurio Suárez, who lives with significant developmental disabilities, depends on his family for daily care and poses no threat to public safety.
According to her office, Acurio Suárez fled Ecuador after being brutally attacked by members of the Los Lobos gang, who allegedly beat him, set his house on fire, and left him for dead.
“He is the exact kind of individual that our asylum system is meant to protect,” McBride said. “Forcing him back to a country where he was brutally attacked and left for dead is wrong.”
McBride also criticized federal immigration policies under the Trump administration, saying they have stripped the system of dignity and due process, protections she says are obligations, not privileges.
The congresswoman is now calling on immigration authorities to immediately release Acurio Suárez and grant him asylum.
Her statement comes a month after Delaware Governor Matt Meyer publicly urged immigration officials to release Acurio Suárez, citing humanitarian concerns.
Acurio Suárez has no criminal history and applied for asylum upon arriving in the United States, according to McBride’s office.
McBride says Acurio Suárez intends to appeal the deportation order. The Office of Rep. McBride says it has been working with his attorney since his detainment by ICE in October 2025.