Chicago DJs Released on Bond After ICE Detention at Midway Airport

Colombian couple faces a longer immigration court process after airport arrest

CHICAGO — A Chicago-based Latin music DJ and his husband have returned home after they were released on bond following their detention by federal immigration agents at Midway International Airport on Aug. 2, according to their attorney. Omar David Panqueva, 26, known professionally as DJ TUNJO, and Santiago Páez, 27, were taken into custody as they prepared to fly to Washington, D.C., for a series of Karol G afterparties.

The couple was released on Aug. 12 after an immigration judge found they did not pose a flight risk and had no criminal record, attorney Enrique Espinoza told the Chicago Sun-Times. Panqueva and Páez, who are originally from Colombia, have sought asylum in the United States, saying they fear persecution because they are members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Espinoza said the men had complied with government requirements during their immigration proceedings. “The government tried to argue that they pose a flight risk, but the reality is that they are not,” he said. “They have fully cooperated with the government and complied with all of their requirements.”

ICE said visas had expired

The Department of Homeland Security said the couple was detained after remaining in the United States beyond the period authorized by visas issued in 2021 that expired in 2022, according to the report. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Panqueva has become a recognizable figure in Chicago’s Latin music scene. He performed at the Sueños Music Festival in Grant Park in May, and he and Páez founded La Mesa Presents, a Chicago organization that produces Latin music programming and community events. Their detention drew attention in a city where immigrant artists and locally organized cultural events play a significant role in the nightlife and entertainment economy.

Although their release allows the pair to remain out of custody for now, it does not resolve their immigration case. Espinoza said the arrest has changed the path of their pending asylum applications and could substantially delay a final decision on whether they may remain in the country.

Asylum claims now headed directly to immigration court

Before their detention, Panqueva and Páez had applied for asylum through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the usual process, USCIS first determines whether an applicant qualifies for asylum. If the agency denies an application, the matter can then be referred to immigration court for a judge to make the final determination.

Because the men were detained, Espinoza said their cases will instead go directly to immigration court. That means they could wait years for a hearing before an immigration judge, even though they are no longer being held by ICE.

The attorney criticized what he described as a broader pattern of immigration arrests involving people without criminal histories. He said the government has increasingly detained people regardless of their individual records or pending immigration claims.

Panqueva and Páez are currently free on bond, but their asylum claims remain unresolved and their cases are expected to proceed through immigration court.