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ICE detains longtime waiter at the Square Diner
Photo by Claudine Williams
Neighbors report that Luis Fernandez, a longtime waiter at the Square Diner, was detained by ICE — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement — for reasons that are still unknown and is now in a federal detention center somewhere in Texas. (I have been back and forth with the press office at ICE, and will update when they provide information.)
Tribecan Kristopher Brown alerted me after he sent a letter to the legal advisers at ICE, whose offices are at 26 Federal Plaza on Broadway and Duane. In it, he vouches for Fernandez, whom he said has a green card that he has actually seen and verified himself.
Kris was originally told that ICE agents came to the Square Diner and told Luis to report to the immigration office at 26 Federal Plaza. “Apparently, when he arrived there with his lawyer he presented his full set of papers, which they ripped up in front of him. He was then detained and first sent to Long Island and then to Texas.”
Kris has been a regular at the diner for decades, and grew to know Luis, whom everyone there loved. (See this story from The Trib for more.)
“That’s what its like when you have lived here this long — we all get to know each other,” Kris said. He’s a lawyer, so he felt he could at the very least send a letter of support. “It hit me in a personal way. I had to do something — it’s very little but better than nothing.”
I will post more updates when I have them.
22 Comments
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This is really heartbreaking.
The ripping of the papers; I just don’t understand that mentality of cruelty to a fellow human.
For all we get caught up in squabbles about Elizabeth St or congestion pricing or vendors on Canal, there are things way more important. We cannot lose sight of that, and think these other things that happen in Washington are far away. Now they’re home, and they aren’t leaving.
Thank you Malcolm and Elizabeth for speaking up and highlighting the ongoing brutality.
This is the orange-sky-is-falling attitude that is going make the street vending nuisance permanent.
https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-street-vendors-would-catch-a-break-under-new-city-council-measure
“New York City street vendors would no longer face misdemeanor charges and jail for violating the city’s vending laws, under a new bill passed by the City Council.
“Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, a Democrat from Queens and sponsor of the bill, said the measure will ‘decriminalize’ street vending. […]
”It also arises as the Trump administration has ramped up deportations, potentially putting noncompliant street vendors in the crosshairs of immigration enforcement. Nearly all street vendors in New York City, 96%, are immigrants, according to a recent report by the Immigration Research Initiative. […]
”[…] Immigration advocates have pressed policymakers to limit law enforcement interactions with immigrants at risk of being deported. […]”
I don’t quite understand your point.
I don’t like street vendors, and I’ve said as much countless times here. But I absolutely do not favor arresting and deporting them because good god that’s just a truly evil thing to want. If the price I have to pay for avoiding sending people to concentration camps in Louisiana is walking around counterfeit goods, sorry, but I’ll pay it.
The idea that the we should all tolerate an open-air bazaar that is absolutely clogging the sidewalks because you do not want the Federal Government to enforce immigration laws is unfathomable.
Legal immigrants should not be deported, obviously, but neither should they be allowed to return us to the sidewalk vending crowds reminiscent of the 19th century
There are other ways to clean up and get rid of the vendors than siccing ICE on these people. From my perspective, what is unfathomable is the idea that the offense of clogging the sidewalks and selling these goods (which, I stress again, I absolutely hate) rises to the level of deportation.
These are not normal times. This is not a normal Federal government. Your perspectives and prerogatives may vary.
I did not suggest sending ICE after the vendors, and your implication is entirely false. It is this kind of hysterical attitude that is leading The City Council to decriminalize illegal street vending. Clearly decriminalizing street vending does nothing to clean up and get rid of the vendors. I would prefer not to live with these conditions just to preserve others’ principles and salve their consciences.
Okay. You responded to my initial comment about this detention with the Gothamist story about decriminalizing street vending while saying I had an ‘orange-sky-is-falling’ attitude. Whatever that means.
There seemed to be an implication you were making. If not, then good, though I still fail to see why you’d reply with that story to my plea for people to think about the bigger stories beyond our local issues.
Either way, I hope you have a nice weekend.
That story is an example of how over-reaction here, whether opportunistic, political, principled, or otherwise, is undermining the ability to respond (via decriminization) to the real problems everyone sees in front of us.
I do not remember this level of panic from the time when the Obama administration deported over 3 million people.
It’s odd this story was picked up no where else. I suspect it’s inaccurate.
It must be convenient to be able to assume that upsetting/alarming stories must be false or inaccurate.
We live under a ruthless administration in cruel country – why would you ever suspect this story isn’t true when there are dozens of stories exactly like this all over the news?
thousands of stories like these and many many more to come.
thousands of stories like these and many many more to come.
This saddens me so much. Shame on those complicit with treating other people so horribly. How does one sleep at night?
Wait i thought the administration was only going after murderers and criminals!?!? Wake up people, they’re going after everyone. This is so sad. Hopefully we get him back, he is the heart and soul of Square Diner.
There is so much unreported ICE detention these days. Its happening everyday. If its not in the NYTimes or WSJ that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Tribecans, please demand Justice for Luis Fernandez and all of our neighbors who are being abducted illegally without Due Process. Join an Immigration Vigil, today, July 10 at 12noon, at ICE headquarters, 26 Federal Plaza (Worth and Centre Sts)
This is not the America I loved. I never thought what Hitler did in Germany could be done in the US but now I understand it could if Trump is not stopped.
Unfortunately more cruelty to follow……all under the guise of “protecting America”
I just informed Eater social media and they just reported it today
https://ny.eater.com/news/400410/tribeca-diner-server-arrest-ice-july-2025
Contact Re. Dan Goldman’s office and ask that they intervene:
(202) 225-7944
Some have already called but thus far no response. Man up Re. Goldman!
This is only happening because the Latino population is predicted to be the largest population in years to come and they hate it. This is a disgrace and a shame and God is going to hold this government accountable.