Country Singer Frank Ray Speaks Out After Brother-in-Law Is Detained by ICE

Country singer Frank Ray is speaking out after his brother-in-law was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thanksgiving Day — an experience Ray says turned what should have been a happy family reunion into “a nightmare.”

In a lengthy social media post shared Monday, Dec. 8, Ray revealed that his brother-in-law, Juan Nevarez-Porras, was detained at El Paso International Airport while traveling with his 16-year-old son, Jonathan, to reunite with family in Nashville for the holiday.

“On Thanksgiving Day, my brother-in-law and my 16-year-old nephew were stopped by TSA in El Paso,” Ray wrote. “What should’ve been a simple travel day turned into a nightmare for our family.”

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Ray said Nevarez-Porras — who was born in Mexico, is married to Ray’s sister, Alyssa Nevarez, has been a foreman for Renegade Construction since 2016 and owns his own granite and tile business — had recently renewed his employment authorization through 2030, which he believed allowed him to legally remain and travel within the United States.

“He was detained at security and told that there was no longer legal status to be in the country,” Ray wrote. “Mind you, being given government documentation issued March of this year that would make any responsible person believe otherwise.”

Jonathan, a U.S. citizen, was held by Border Patrol agents at the airport until he was released into the care of his grandfather, Ray said. Meanwhile, Nevarez-Porras was taken into ICE custody.

“My brother-in-law was subsequently taken away to a facility under the custody of ICE,” Ray wrote. “No warning. Just gone.”

At the time, Ray said his sister was already in Nashville with three of the couple’s four children, preparing to spend Thanksgiving together as a family and attend the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration. “Instead,” Ray wrote, “she got a phone call that turned this trip into a traumatic event.”

Nevarez-Porras has lived in the U.S. for nearly 20 years and has a pending green card application.

In 2015, he filed a cancellation of removal application, a form of immigration relief that can allow an individual to remain in the United States if they can prove they have lived in the country for at least 10 years, have not been convicted of a disqualifying crime and that removal would cause hardship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse or children.

Under the Obama administration, his immigration case was deemed low priority and administratively closed, meaning deportation was not pursued as officials focused enforcement efforts on immigrants convicted of serious crimes. The Trump administration broadened immigration enforcement, though, allowing previously closed cases — including those involving individuals without criminal records — to be reopened.

It’s unclear just what category Nevarez-Porras falls into. Ray insisted his brother-in-law has no criminal record, but the Department of Homeland Security says otherwise.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that Nevarez-Porras has a a “rap sheet” that “includes battery, assault, criminal trespassing, and disorderly conduct.”

“In 2006, he illegally entered the U.S. in Columbus, New Mexico,” McLaughlin said. “Work authorization does not confer any legal status in this country. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

Nevarez-Porras is currently being held at the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, N.M., according to ICE’s online detainee database.

Ray, a former police officer turned country star, acknowledged in his post that he has long supported law enforcement but said this situation forced him to confront what he described as failures within the immigration system.

“There’s a difference between heroes and systems that forget people are human,” he wrote. “When agencies start using predatory tactics to target hardworking families, when kids get caught in the middle, when holidays turn into trauma — that’s not safety. That’s not protection. That’s a failure of a broken immigration system.”

The “Hard to Be a Hero” singer also emphasized his identity as a proud Mexican-American. “I can be a patriot and think this is wrong,” he wrote. “Both can be true.”

In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, Dec. 9, Ray expanded on his decision to speak publicly, explaining that he initially hesitated out of concern for how the situation might be perceived within the country music community.

“I contemplated so hard about posting something like this because I know how divisive it can be and I’m not here to cause any more division in the world,” Ray said. “I’m here to write country music and bring people together.”

Still, Ray said he ultimately spoke up after consulting with his sister, who agreed to let him use his platform to amplify the family’s story. “That’s what this post was about, was to serve her and my brother-in-law,” he said.

He went on to credit fellow public figures, including Dancing with the Stars winner Bobby Bones, with helping connect the family to immigration attorneys and potential crowdfunding support.

And he described Nevarez-Porras as someone who embodies the values often celebrated in country music. “He exemplifies everything we sing about in country music: family, faith and hard work,” he said.

Those comments were echoed by Nevarez-Porras’s wife. “Juan is a great father,” she told The Tennessean, noting that her husband “wants the best” for their daughter and three sons, and has worked “to provide everything he didn’t have growing up.”

Nevarez added that she’s been in touch with Nevarez-Porras since Thanksgiving. “He calls daily, and we can do video calls. I have been able to visit Saturday and Sunday since he’s only an hour away,” she said.

“Some days are better than others,” Nevarez noted. “I have to remind him to be strong and not to give up. God has his plans and this is just something to keep our faith in God. I can’t imagine those families that are farther away dealing with the same situation.”