In a development that has sparked significant concern among educators and community members, Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, a teenager from Detroit, has been deported to Colombia. This action follows his detention by immigration authorities, which drew widespread attention and calls for his release.
Attorney Ruby Robinson, representing Maykol, confirmed the deportation after receiving a late-night voicemail from Maykol’s mother indicating his return to Colombia. Robinson is yet to speak directly with Maykol but plans to do so soon. Although arrangements were made for Maykol’s grandmother to receive him at the Colombian airport, confirmation of who met him remains unclear.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to confirmation requests about the deportation, and his status has been removed from ICE’s detainee locator.
Maykol, an 18-year-old student, was apprehended on May 20 during a school field trip to Lake Erie Metropark, located roughly 25 miles from Detroit. The arrest occurred after Rockwood police stopped him for reportedly tailgating, discovering he possessed only a City of Detroit ID, not a driver’s license.
The incident triggered a robust advocacy effort from teachers, students, community advocates, and lawmakers who urged authorities to allow Maykol to stay and finish high school. He was just 3.5 credits short of graduating from Western International High School.
A petition demanding the Detroit Public School Community District and lawmakers denounce his arrest gathered thousands of signatures. Additionally, a school board meeting on June 10 witnessed extensive support for Maykol’s release, leading to a statement from the board advocating for him to remain and complete his education.
Though Maykol’s mother attended the meeting, she remained silent. Robinson, from the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, noted that the organization does not represent her. He anticipated she might attempt to return to Colombia independently, criticizing Maykol’s detention as “entirely unnecessary and harmful.”
Communication issues during the traffic stop, where officers were unable to converse in Spanish, led to Customs and Border Protection agents being called for translation assistance. Maykol, who arrived in the U.S. at 16, was already involved in legal procedures to return to Colombia after a final deportation order in 2024. He aimed to finalize his high school education in Detroit while arranging his departure with immigration officials and the Colombian Consulate.
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat.
Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report.
Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
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