Family of Pasadena Man Arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Holds City Hall Press Conference Demanding His Release

The saddened family of Carlos Ortiz, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month at the family’s Pasadena residence, held a press conference in front of City Hall Thursday to demand his release and offer perspective to the community about a fear that became reality for a family unit with immigrant roots.

The press conference was organized by a new group called Pasadenans Organizing for Progress, known as POP. Speakers said it was a public display of solidarity with the immigrant community. Ortiz’s situation is still pending and it is unclear if he will remain in the United States or be deported back to Mexico.

“This story is emblematic of what’s happening to thousands and millions of undocumented migrant families across this country. The struggle of the Ortiz family is not just to ensure that Mr. Carlos Ortiz is free, it’s also on behalf of the 11 million undocumented people whose future is on the line right now as the President has threatened to engage in mass deportation practices,” said National Day Laborers Organizing Network Director Pablo Alvarado and POP activist.

Ortiz was detained last month by ICE agents who came to his Pasadena home looking for a suspect who was not there. In the process, the agents ended up taking away Ortiz, who was not the original target of their operation.

According to POP’s Executive Director Lizbeth Mateo, before dawn on the morning of February 9, ICE agents knocked on the door of Pasadena resident Carlos Ortiz. Identifying themselves as “police” to Estefany Ortiz, 19, his daughter, they asked if a “Rodrigo” lived at the address.

Mateo said that Estefany woke her brother and father, who told the police that ‘”Rodrigo” did not live at that address, but may have lived at the address eight years before the Ortiz family moved in.

When ICE officials asked Carlos for identification, Mateo said, he showed them his “matrícula consular,” an identity card that Mexican consulates issue to Mexican citizens who reside outside Mexico. Consulates have issued the matrícula consular since 1871.

“We asked what was going on, why they were taking him. They gave no explanation why,” said Estefany Ortiz.

According to ICE Western Regional Communications Director/Spokesperson Virginia Kice, the Fugitive Operations officers determined Ortiz had been previously deported in 1999 and had since illegally returned to the U.S.

The ICE officers then took Ortiz into custody. He has been held since the arrest approximately 80 miles away at the Adelanto Detention Center “pending removal.”

“It’s been very, very, very difficult for us and it’s not fair for any family to be going through this. It’s not something we would want any family to go through,” said Estefany Ortiz.

“How are we supposed to cooperate with the Police when ICE is saying they are the the police. How can we cooperate with that? What are we going to do now when we have an emergency at our home?” Ortiz asked.

“During targeted enforcement operations ICE officers frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws,” Kice explained. “Those persons will be evaluated on a case by case basis and, when appropriate, arrested by ICE.”

“As far as we know he was not detained and deported in 1999, but even if he had, this is a man who has a family here in the U.S., has two children, has a granddaughter who’s a U.S. citizen — his whole life is here,” sad Mateo.

“I think what ICE is really doing is coming up with excuses for taking somebody that they were not looking for,” Mateo added.

According to Mateo, Carlos Ortiz has expressed fear of returning to Mexico and has not applied for asylum in the U.S.

“He fears going back because of threats and extortion that his family has suffered over the years,” said Mateo.

Ortiz recently obtained legal representation, according to Mateo, and is exploring the option of applying for asylum — a process that Mateo said is complicated and time consuming.

“We’re hopeful that we can work on the asylum claim if he’s able to apply for asylum, but I think that there are other avenues too, to fight,” said Mateo.