Antonio Lopez, 52, a longtime local resident who owns Lopez Construction & Landscaping in Boiceville, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Aug. 8 during a routine immigration interview in Albany, according to his cousin, Abril Lazaro.
Lopez, who was born in Mexico and has lived in the U.S. since the early 1990s, was taken into custody during a routine immigration meeting in Albany.
“He has no deportations and no re-entry violations,” Lazaro said. “The only thing he has on record is being undocumented.”
ICE didn’t respond to requests for comment. Lopez is among more than 30,000 people detained by the agency in July alone as the Trump Administration ramps up its attempts to deport what it calls illegal immigrants. Among local detainees is Gerson Turcios, a Honduran immigrant and Rhinebeck High School graduate who had been working as a landscaper.
Olive Town Supervisor Jim Sofranko said local officials were not involved in the detention. “The highest priority for the town of Olive is to keep residents safe,” Sofranko said. He added that the town follows guidance from New York State and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and does not take part in immigration enforcement unless there is an arrest warrant for an individual.
Lopez has a hearing scheduled for Aug. 28, when a judge will decide whether he will be deported. Albany-based attorney Taylor C. Cuomo has been contacted to represent him. On Aug. 22 an assistant said Cuomo could not provide comment.
Lazaro said she is helping maintain Lopez’s clients and workers in his absence.
Jim Rich contributed reporting.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article misstated the location of Lopez’s immigration interview. It took place in Albany, not Kingston. This article was updated on September 2.