Detroit, MI – Detroit area elected officials Senator Stephanie Chang, Detroit Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero, Senator Mary Cavanagh, and Representative Veronica Paiz sent a letter to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detroit Field Director, urging the release of Edwin Vladimir Romero Gutierrez and Angel Junior Rincon-Perez, two men who have work authorization and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) status and are seeking legal asylum in the United States. Both men are being held at the North Lake Processing Center.
Edwin and Angel are both working to support themselves and their families. Both men were Amazon Flex drivers and we understand that neither of them have a criminal history. Angel has several children in his family for whom he is the main breadwinner. They are actively following the immigration process. They are here fleeing instability in Venezuela, seeking asylum and better opportunities here in America. Both have upcoming asylum court hearings. Both have Michigan driver’s licenses and work authorization.
Before arriving in the United States in 2023, Edwin was involved in protest movements against the Maduro regime in Venezuela. His partner Maria describes Edwin as a family man who loved to help his mother. Angel has several children, including a three-year-old girl, and a loving girlfriend, Franyl. With Angel in ICE detention, the family has no current income and the children are relying on community members to be driven to school so they can get an education. Additionally, Angel suffers from high blood pressure.
On February 2, Edwin and Angel were detained by federal agents in Hazel Park at or near the Amazon facility. Edwin was on his way back to the facility to start a second shift when he noticed he was being followed by an unmarked car. He was not intending to put anyone in danger. Angel was on his way to the Amazon facility in Hazel Park to return a package that he was unable to successfully deliver on a previous day, when federal agents detained him. Both men were simply trying to do their job as Amazon Flex drivers and continue to be productive members of our community.
“Angel, your children and I are waiting for you at home,” said Franyl Huerta, Angel’s partner. “I beg you, from the bottom of my heart, to please give Angel the opportunity to see his family again, as he is a good father, a good son, and a good brother. He is only looking for a better future for our family, as it is the foundation of our home.” [Translated from Spanish]
“Edwin is a hardworking and quiet man. He has always been responsible and very devoted to his family,” said Maria Zambrano, Edwin’s partner. “He is the main provider for our household and also financially supports his mother, who depends on him. Since his detention, our family has been going through a very difficult time, both emotionally and financially. My husband is not a criminal. He is a family man who came to this country seeking safety and an opportunity to work and provide for his family honestly. His absence has affected us deeply. We only ask that his character be considered and that the impact his detention is having on his family be taken into account.” [Translated from Spanish]
“Edwin and Angel are following the legal asylum process and were doing their best to provide for their families and do their jobs as Amazon Flex drivers in our community when federal agents detained them,” said Sen. Stephanie Chang. “ICE and other federal agents are continuing to wreak havoc and chaos in our communities by breaking up families. My heart breaks for the families who no longer have a main breadwinner. Angel and Edwin should be released home. Our communities are saying loud and clear – ICE out of our communities.”
“Edwin and Angel’s detainment and relocation from the community is senseless and heartbreaking,” said Council Member Gabriela Santiago–Romero (District 6). “Both are legally in the country, have TPS, are seeking asylum – a process outlined in both U.S. and international law – and have employment authorization from our own government. They are not criminals and they are not violent. They are two men, who while following the law and supporting their family, fell victim to the Trump Administration’s inhumane immigration policy, which is rooted in nativism, terror, and harm. They should be released immediately.”