Man facing deportation stays in tree for hours surrounded by ICE, TX agents say

ICE agents waited at the bottom of a tree for hours after a Guatemalan national facing deportation climbed up it in an attempt to escape authorities, Texas news outlets report.

The man, 29-year-old Raul Ical, was in a vehicle pulled over by authorities on Tuesday, April 29, on San Antonio’s west side, KSAT reported. During the traffic stop, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials say Ical ran into the backyard of a nearby home, then went up a tree.

This was the beginning of an hours-long standoff involving negotiators and a ladder, KENS reported. Despite warm weather and no water, Ical refused to come down.

However, after six hours, negotiators persuaded him to leave the tree, and he was taken into custody, WOAI reported.

Officials say Ical was deported from the U.S. in 2013, but he came back, the station reported. He is facing a charge of illegal reentry after deportation.

The incident caught attention in San Antonio and on social media, including with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“You can run, but you can’t hide,” Noem said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Whether in a tree or harbored in an activist judge’s house, if you are here illegally, ICE will find you, arrest you, and you will be deported.”

This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Man facing deportation stays in tree for hours surrounded by ICE, TX agents say."