A Venezuelan-born doctor who was working to complete his medical residency program with UTRGV at Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco before being detained by immigration authorities is set to be released.

The attorney for Dr. Ezequiel Véliz said on Wednesday a judge granted him a bond during his immigration hearing.

“Prosecutors argued against a bond, calling him a flight risk,” attorney Victor Badell said in a social media post. “We explained that Veliz is an example of the type of immigrant we should have.”

As previously reported, Veliz was taken into custody at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita on April 6.

Veliz was in the country and employed through a temporary protected status designation. The Trump administration ended that protection in October 2025.

Veliz lost his job and became undocumented but had a pending green card application.

In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Veliz's pending application did not qualify as a valid visa.

The detainment of Veliz, who was a specialist helping patients manage diabetes in the Rio Grande Valley, made national headlines.

A second Venezuelan-born physician in the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, was also detained by immigration authorities for overstaying her visa despite having a work permit. 

On Wednesday, the Mexican American Legislative Caucus issued the following statement calling for the release of both doctors:

“We were told immigration enforcement would focus on the criminals, the ‘worst of the worst.’ These were neither. They were the best of the best. 

Instead, we are seeing law-abiding doctors, people who followed the law and are caring for our communities, taken into custody for deportation. 

These are not criminals. These are physicians treating families in one of the most underserved regions in our state. MALC demands the immediate release of Dr. Veliz and Dr. Bolivar.”