Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested two Bloomington men of Venezuelan nationality Tuesday outside Walmart.
Witnesses saw agents placing Manuel Alejandro Nadal-Ortiz and César Cepeda Gomez (both delivery drivers for Walmart) in a black SUV Tuesday morning. Images of the arrest circulated on social media.
According to ICE, Gomez is currently jailed at North Lake Correctional Facility in Michigan, while Ortiz’s location remains unknown.
Read more: Reports of ICE surge in Indianapolis prompt congressional inquiry
Ortiz’s girlfriend Joanna Hanner, a student at Indiana University, said she received a call from his mother Jenny Ortiz less than 10 minutes after the arrest. She was crying.
“I told her, ‘Tranquil, yo no puedo comprendar: calm down, I can't understand,’” Hanner said. “Slowly, she tells me, ‘They have him. ICE has him. ICE has Manuel,’ and my heart just dropped.”
Ortiz has a work permit and came to the U.S. under an asylum claim, according to Jenny. He has no criminal record beyond a paid speeding ticket.
Still, Hanner said Ortiz closely followed reports about local ICE activity and tried to avoid areas where sightings were reported.
Hanner and Jenny spent most of the day with Ortiz’s sister trying to find him, combing through immigration documents and calling detention centers. They didn’t hear anything until 2:30 that afternoon, when Ortiz called.
“I didn't know what to say other than ask him if it was okay, tell him I love him,” Hanner said. “Like, I just like froze. I didn't know what to say, and I feel like I just wasted that time.”
Ortiz kept apologizing. Hanner said she didn’t know why. She recalled an argument they had that morning, their last conversation before his arrest.
“I'm cold when I'm sleep and I was griping about that with him on the phone this morning before he got picked up,” Hanner said.
He told them he was in Chicago but was being moved to a jail in Michigan. Currently, Ortiz does not appear in the ICE detainee locator, where family members are supposed to be able to track prisoner location and legal proceedings.
Ortiz works as a driver for DoorDash, Uber and Walmart. Hanner said he was saving money to support his father in Venezuela.
“He's just a really kind person,” Hanner said. “That's mainly why I'm with him. He's just really nice, and he's hardworking.”
Gomez was also in the country legally. A friend shared his work permit and said he had an asylum hearing scheduled for October. He lives in Bloomington with his partner and her child. WFIU/WTIU News reached out to Gomez’s attorney but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The two arrests coincided with large ICE sweeps in Indianapolis.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment. City of Bloomington communications director Desiree DeMolina said federal officers aren’t required to notify the City ahead of actions.
Local law enforcement has policies against enforcing immigration rules, but a state law passed this year prevents them from stopping individual employees from doing so.
Read more: Sheriff's Office won’t restrict employees working with immigration officials
Ryan Pedigo, Bloomington Police Department public information officer, said they had received no information from ICE and that BPD officers did not assist with any detainments. Deputy Jeff Brown of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said they were not contacted by ICE and he was unaware of any deputies working with immigration agents.
Other Bloomington residents have been arrested by ICE since Donald Trump’s second term in office. Some were undocumented and charged with crimes, and some were undocumented but without a criminal record. Others were permitted to work but arrested for minor infractions and some were legal residents charged with no crime at all. Immigrants held without charges can wait weeks before a court appearance and may be moved between multiple jails and prisons during that time.
