A McAllen family is fighting to reunite with their father after a judge ended his removal proceedings, but he remains in federal custody.

Leslie Ruiz Hidalgo says her father, Guillermo Avalos Ruiz, is being held at the Port Isabel Detention Center even though an immigration judge ruled in his favor.

"We just really want to understand why they made that decision so abruptly and where it came from," Ruiz Hidalgo said.

On Feb. 13, 2026, an immigration judge ended Guillermo's removal proceedings. His son, an active-duty military member, applied for protections through the Parole in Place Program.

Fabian Guerrero, the attorney representing Guillermo, says military members have the right to ask for their family members to not be removed.

"The application was presented to the immigration judge, and we requested what is called a termination of his immigration proceedings," Guerrero said.

Guerrero says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had 30 days to appeal the judge's decision. They never did.

"They let the 30-day period lapse so the judge's order terminating the proceedings became final when it lapsed," Guerrero said.

Instead of being released, Guillermo was transferred to the Port Isabel Detention Center, where he is now awaiting new proceedings.

"We understand that he was here illegally, but we also understand that there was grace given," Ruiz Hidalgo said.

Ruiz Hidalgo says her father entered the U.S. after crossing the Rio Grande over 20 years ago. He was detained last November during a routine ICE check-in.

"While he was waiting for his work permit to arrive, and since it had not arrived on time, he was detained on the spot," Ruiz Hidalgo said.

Ruiz Hidalgo says she visits her father every Friday.

"I make sure to visit him every Friday, and the drive over there was hard," Ruiz Hidalgo said.

She says it's been difficult seeing her father in detention.

"My dad doesn't have a criminal background, so it was hard to see him super skinny too; he's lacking nutrients. I didn't recognize him," Ruiz Hidalgo said.

Guillermo is set to appear in court again on April 1, 2026. Ruiz Hidalgo is hoping her family will be reunited.

"You never know what is going to happen, and if there is any grace out there, we would like to have that," Ruiz Hidalgo said.

Channel 5 News reached out to ICE for comment asking why Guillermo was transferred to another detention center and was not released. They did not respond by the time this story aired on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Channel 5 News also reached out to Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz's office because the family asked for help with this case.

De La Cruz said her office is working to assist South Texans and remains committed to helping families navigate the complexities of working with federal agencies. Read her statement in full below:

“I am proud of our hard-working casework team. Recently, we have seen an increase in outreach, and our office is working diligently to assist South Texans. While every case is unique, we remain committed to helping families navigate the complexities of working with federal agencies. Ultimately, each case must follow the legal process, and we are here to provide support.

Due to constituent privacy concerns, we cannot speak to specifics of casework. However, our team of caseworkers is available to help constituents of TX-15 navigate working with federal agencies. Constituents can reach our office directly at delacruz.house.gov or by calling our office. Our team processes every individual case and decides the best course of action in accordance with federal law."

Watch the video above for the full story.