A Liberty County family is fighting to bring home their loved one after an immigration raid turned their world upside down.
Erik Payán Ibarra, the owner of a tire shop in Colony Ridge, was taken into custody by ICE agents while at work. His wife, Alejandrina Morales, says he is not a criminal—just a hardworking man who was caught in the middle of a larger operation.
The Last Call
On the morning of Feb. 24, Payán left home early for work, just as he did every day. Before heading out, he placed $25 on the bed for his wife to help cover their granddaughter’s doctor’s appointment.
Shortly after, news broke that ICE agents were conducting a raid in Colony Ridge, the majority-Latino community where Payán runs his business. Seeing the reports, Morales quickly called her husband to warn him.
”Be careful. There are said to be raids in Cleveland,” she told him.
Payán assured her that he was being careful but needed to finish helping a customer. Just 15 minutes later, he called her back with a chilling message:
”Mija, it’s over. ICE is here.”
Captured on Camera
Desperate for answers, Morales turned on her phone and pulled up the security cameras at Payán’s tire shop.
”I saw him showing them his business papers,” she said. “I thought he was safe when they let him go… and then suddenly, they handcuffed him again.”
A customer who was inside the shop later told Morales that an ICE agent turned to another and simply said, “Put him in.”
Payán was taken into custody and has been held at the Montgomery County ICE detention center in Conroe ever since.
A Family Left Struggling
With Payán gone, his family is now struggling to make ends meet. Morales says her husband was their only source of income, working long hours to support them.
Adding to their stress, their two-year-old granddaughter has a serious heart condition, and one of their daughters is hospitalized after an amputation.
”He calls me every day, all the time. As always, I encourage him,” Morales said, explaining how she tries to stay strong for him during their brief phone calls.
What’s Next?
Payán is scheduled to appear in immigration court on March 20, where his future in the U.S. will be decided. Morales says she will continue to fight for his release and hopes others will hear their story.
”I insist that the governor gives himself the opportunity to know us,” she said. “We are not the criminals he says we are. We are just hardworking people.”
The family now has legal guidance and is hopeful that Payán will be able to return home soon.
