Edward Alonso Castillo and his three kids. Photo courtesy of Make the Road New York
‘WE WILL NOT STOP FIGHTING’
Queens small business owner wins right to removal proceedings, but ICE denies request for release
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Queens resident Edward
Alonso Castillo, who was
arrested and detained by
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) in January,
won an asylum reasonable
fear review — but ICE
still refuses to release him.
His family, who fears for his
deteriorating health, started
a petition to demand his
immediate release.
An immigration judge
granted the decision that allows
Alonso to continue to
fight his removal proceedings
and prevents ICE from deporting
him until proceedings are
complete, according to Make
the Road New York (MRNY),
who is representing Alonso
and his family.
“We are glad that Alonso
has won his reasonable fear
review hearing, but we will
not stop fighting until Alonso
is home with his family where
he can seek the medical treatment
he desperately needs,”
said Jackie Pearce, senior
raids response attorney at
MRNY.
Alonso, 48, was arrested
on Jan. 28 and is being held
at Orange County Jail in Goshen,
New York. On Feb. 23, he
was admitted to a hospital due
to severe chest pains. Alonso
has a history of strokes and
wears a cardiac monitor.
MRNY then filed a parole
application asking ICE to
immediately release Alonso
from detention and to stay his
deportation, on behalf of his
family. A medical review concluded
that Alonso is at high
risk of health complications
and of suffering severe complications
from COVID-19 due
to his underlying conditions.
But ICE has denied a request
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | MARCH 19-MARCH 25, 2021
for his release as of
Thursday, March 11.
An ICE spokesperson told
QNS they can’t discuss individual’s
asylum issues due to
privacy and safety concerns.
They added that Alonso, 48,
was taken into custody by ICE
Enforcement and Removal Operations
due to a misdemeanor
domestic violence charge
from September 2020, which
is in the process of being dismissed,
and his previous history
with law enforcement.
Fourteen years ago, Alonso
pleaded guilty to transferring
false identification, served
eight months in prison and
was deported. He later re-entered
the country to be with
his three children who reside
in Staten Island.
Alonso now co-owns of
Babylon Bagel on Long Island
with his partner Rocio. They
have donated food for other
undocumented immigrants in
need of assistance during the
height of the pandemic.
MRNY maintains Alonso
doesn’t fall under the categories
for deportation under
new ICE enforcement priorities
and calls for a temporary
moratorium on deportations
by President Joe Biden’s administration.
The agency’s
new guidelines state it will
focus its “civil immigration
enforcement and removal resources
on threats to national
security, border security and
public safety.”
“ICE’s decision shows that
even under a new administration,
ICE is refusing to adhere
to guidance issued from Washington,
D.C., and continues to
have a callous disregard for
his health and the well-being
of all detainees that it continues
to hold in jails across the
country,” Pearce said. “We are
escalating our request within
ICE and hope that the agency
will promptly release him.”
According to a NY1 report,
Queens Congresswoman
Grace Meng wrote to ICE
urging the agency to release
Alonso.
Alonso’s family continue
their calls to have ICE immediately
release him, and with
the help of MRNY have collected
nearly 1,000 signatures
in a petition.
“Alonso must be released
from detention immediately.
For the last month, our family
has been worried over Alonso’s
health. Alonso has spent
over a month in agonizing
pain and away from his family
— he deserves to be home,
where he belongs,” Rocio said.
“I urge ICE to release Alonso
so that he can be with his children
and get the proper medical
care he needs.”
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