Protesters Gather To Demand Release Of Man Arrested By ICE
MARYSVILLE (CBS13) - Around 50 people rallied outside the Yuba County Jail Sunday afternoon, demanding the release of 38-year-old Isaias Cisneros. According to his family ICE agents were looking for someone else when Cisneros was detained last Tuesday while on his way to work.
"He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was actually working to feed his family and he was at the wrong place at the wrong time," said family spokesperson Tomas Evangelista.
Protest organizers are now working to raise bond money for Cisneros and convince authorities to halt deportation efforts.
"Actually ICE can use their own prosecutorial discretion, which is something that they have been doing to let folks that aren't a danger to the community be out and check in every so often so they know what they've been up to," said organizer Autumn Gonzalez.
Family members say Cisneros has worked in the United Stated for 20 years. He lives in Auburn with his wife and three children. He's currently undocumented but has been trying for years, they say, to become a US citizen.
"He applied in 2000, but the system is backlogged right now, so he's been waiting since then" Evangelista said.
Cisneros' wife was in attendance and thanked the protesters for their support, while his daughter, stood by her side.
"I miss him" said 10-year-old Ninel Mosqueda.
"I think this has become an issue that is used to feed a base that has a lot of fear and misunderstanding of diversity and other folks in our community," Gonzalez said.
When asked how she would respond to people who contend "All illegals should be deported," protester, Amanda Sheldon, with the Faithful Friends organization said, "I would say there are no illegal people through god's eyes, and I think that's important," Sheldon said. "I would also say there are not laws that allow people to come here legally and work hard, and this (ICE detention) is not making the community safer," she said.
The demonstrations continued for more than two hours.