ICE detained the uncle of six children whose parents were killed in a car crash in March while fleeing agents outside of Delano, according to the United Farm Workers Foundation
ICE agents apprehended Celestino Hilario Garcia, an uncle to the six orphans Wednesday at his apartment in Delano. UFW says Garcia has since been deported to Mexico.
Diana Tellefson Torres, Executive Director for UFW issued the following statement:
Still grieving the tragic deaths of their farm worker parents while fleeing ICE deportation agents on March 13 outside Delano, the six children of Santos Hilario Garcia and Marcelina Garcia Porfecto were dealt a new blow when ICE agents deliberately picked up their closest remaining family member, their uncle Celestino Hilario Garcia, at the Delano apartment building where both families live. ICE agents specifically targeted Celestino, also a farm worker who has now been deported to Mexico, leaving behind a wife and four young children.
ICE already contributed to the deaths of the parents of these six children who are now orphans. Can ICE be more callous in visiting even greater anguish upon this family that has already suffered so much? How much crueler can Donald Trump's immigration policies become? How many more casualties can be produced by the Trump administration's targeting of hardworking immigrant farm workers who sacrifice to feed all Americans?
ICE released this statement to 23ABC:
"Wednesday, deportation officers assigned to ICE’s Fugitive Operation Team arrested and removed Celestino Hilario-Garcia, an illegally present citizen and national of Mexico. ICE granted Hilario-Garcia voluntary return to Mexico on seven occasions between 2002 and 2009. In April 2009, an immigration judge issued him a final order of removal, and ICE removed him to Mexico twice, once in April 2009 and again in May 2009. He has three criminal convictions for driving under the influence."
