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Freed pizza deliveryman savors family time
After nearly eight weeks in a dank New Jersey immigration lockup, Pablo Villavicencio relaxed in the comforting glow of his daughters' love.
“They are my light,” the pizza deliveryman said Wednesday, cuddling with the two girls during his first full day home after a lengthy detention by federal authorities.
“They were the most difficult 53 days of my life,” the 35-year-old Long Island resident continued in Spanish. “I kept thinking of my daughters and about my wife.”
Spouse Sandra Chica, an American citizen, prepared her husband's favorite meal of salmon, the aroma filling their now-happy Long Island home.
Villavicencio was sprung from the Hudson County Correctional Facility on Tuesday night after Manhattan Federal Judge Paul Crotty ordered his release. The Bush administration appointee noted the detainee had no criminal record, paid his taxes and supported his family in turning him loose.
Villavicencio was busted while delivering a pizza to the Fort Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn, making him a cause celebre in the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.
The native of Ecuador — whose daughters, ages 2 and 4, are also U.S. citizens — was in the process of seeking his American citizenship when taken into custody by federal authorities.
“Thank you, God, because dad is home,” his eldest daughter, Luciana said when he arrived at their Hempstead, L.I., home late Tuesday night.
The two small girls took turns kissing and hugging their dad as he answered questions. The forgiving father said he bore no grudges against the Fort Hamilton officers who turned him over to immigration officials, noting that he delivered many times to military facilities in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. He was even looking forward to getting back to work. “It is my passion,” he said. The undocumented immigrant described vile conditions at the “inhumane” Kearny, N.J., lockup, where he was held with five parents separated from their children at the Mexican border as part of the President's call for stricter enforcement.
“We had to clean the place from residuals of urine and feces, and there was no air conditioning,” Villavicencio recalled. “It was very difficult.”
Officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement said they still believe they were in the right in locking up Villavicencio.
“ICE maintains that lawful removal orders from federal immigration judges must be enforced, and Mr. Villavicencio is still subject to a 2010 final order of removal,” spokeswoman Rachael Yong Yow said. “However, Mr. Villavicencio was released from ICE custody and placed on an order of supervision following yesterday's U.S. District Court order, which allows him to pursue an immediate-relative petition and applications for waivers of inadmissibility with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It should be noted that Mr. Villavicencio chose to enter the United States illegally, which is a crime. After receiving due process at taxpayer expense, he became an ICE fugitive because he chose to ignore a judge's order to depart the U.S. in 2010 in violation of law.”
Villavicencio offered some advice to the undocumented who wind up facing the same difficult situation as he did after what started as a routine day of delivering food.
“They have to be strong,” said Villavicencio. “They can prove their innocence.”
Despite his freedom, Villavicencio said his outlook on life had dramatically changed.
“Every time I see a police car now, I get scared,” he said.