Local officials are offering their support to an undocumented immigrant in danger of being deported after delivering a pizza to an Army base in Brooklyn.
Pablo Villavicencio was taken into custody by immigration officials after a background check showed there was an active ICE warrant. Officials said he’d been considered an ICE fugitive since 2010 for failing to comply with a voluntary departure order.
“New York stands ready to provide Mr. Villavicencio and his family with free legal representation and services through the Liberty Defense Project. I will fight this outrageous affront to Pablo Villavicencio and to all of us,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Villavicencio is from Ecuador. He lives on Long Island with his wife and their two children.
“Detaining pizza delivery men and separating fathers from children isn’t making America safe. An immigration policy grounded in bias and cruelty isn’t making American great,” Cuomo said.
Villavicencio had made deliveries to the Fort Hamilton base before without incident. This time, he showed his municipal ID card, but then submitted to the background check that turned up the warrant.
“We demand Pablo Villavicencio Calderon’s immediate release. Delivering a pizza is not a threat to public safety. The ultimate city of immigrants stands ready to provide him and his family with any assistance we can,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
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