ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The family of an 18-year-old high school student says he has not been home since last December, when he was pulled over for speeding, arrested and taken to an ICE detention facility in Louisiana.Elder Chavez holds Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in the United States, which is a big step toward full legal status. SIJS is a designation that is granted if the immigrant has documented proof of past parental abuse or abandonment — which makes it impossible to reunify with a parent — before coming to the U.S.According to the Department of Homeland Security, 132 young people with that status (including Chavez) were detained last year due to changes in the green card application process.Because of recent backlogs in green card applications, a policy called deferred action was implemented in 2022 to automatically allow these SIJS immigrants to stay in the U.S. until their green card application goes through.But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rescinded that policy in June 2025, and now immigrants must apply for deferred action manually. Despite being in ICE custody, Chavez still has SIJS. But his family representatives said he cannot go through with the permanent legal process while he is detained, so he is stuck in limbo.‘I need help to get me out of here’“I need help to get me out of here so I can continue my studies, finish high school, and I would be with my sister and nephews,” Chavez said in an audio message to friends and family. “We just want to give back to this country what is has given me through hard work and effort.”Chavez came to the U.S. from Honduras in 2022, after his parents abandoned him. After being detained for a few months, he was released to his eventual legal guardian and older sister, Maryuri Chavez.For the years up until Elder was detained, Maryuri watched over him as he continued his journey at Asbury High School.She, along with his former teachers and local pastors, have been working since he was detained to get him home. Maryuri has even obtained legal representation as she works toward his release. She said the seven months since her brother was detained have been difficult.“It’s been really, really hard. We miss him every day,” Maryuri said, through a translator. “And more than anything, we think about him and we would love if he could finish his studies.”Community rallies around ElderTwo local pastors recently visited Elder at the Louisiana facility. Andy Yarnell, one of the pastors who made the trip, said in the short time he’s known Elder, he has seen a gentle young man with a bright future.“He’s just a great kid. When you think of people in custody, you think of hardened criminals,” Yarnell said. “This is not a hardened criminal.”Pastor Beth Johnson also visited Elder, and she said he made it very clear how much he misses those back home.“This has been his home for years. He is such a gift to this community. He misses his family and friends a lot,” Johnson said. “He asked us our last day that we were there, ‘Will I see you tomorrow?’ And all of our hearts just sank because we knew we were going to have to go back.”The pastors are holding a prayer gathering for Chavez on Wednesday. Maryuri Chavez said she is hopeful her brother could return home within the next month.She had another message she wanted him to hear.“That I love him a lot, even though I tell him that every time we talk to each other,” Maryuri said. “If we were together for five minutes, I would just hug him and tell him I love him and that we miss him a lot.”ICE has not responded yet to a request for comment on the case.Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!Copyright 2026 WAFF. All rights reserved.