A Washington state man who has lived in the United States for more than 25 years wasn't the intended target when ICE agents arrested him in late July, his attorney said Friday. Juan Martinez, 46, was detained on July 30 by ICE officials as he arrived for his shift at a gas station in Conway, where he had worked full-time and had been well-known throughout the community, attorney Lisa Seifert told Newsweek. His job," Seifert explained.
"There was no reason to target this guy." Martinez, who is originally from Mexico, entered the United States in spring 2000 and later sought lawful permanent residency through his older brother, a U.S. citizen, Seifert said. Martinez told Seifert he spotted ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations agents outside the gas station on Main Street in Conway a day or so prior to his arrest. Prosecutors later acknowledged in court documents that they had been looking for another person at the time, according to Seifert.
Martinez's attorney said she believes ICE agents may have been searching for the previous owner of his vehicle, a silver Honda that he recently purchased. "He bought that car from someone and hadn't switched the registration yet," Seifert said. "So, when ICE continued looking around, they found the car and then they found him." Martinez remains in custody as of Friday at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
He's due back in court on October 8, Seifert said. "We hope the judge is going to decide that he's eligible to become a permanent resident and approve his application that we have filed," she said. Department of Homeland Security officials did not return multiple inquiries on Friday.
An online fundraiser for Martinez has eclipsed $9,300 as he awaits his next date in court. "Juan is a beloved friend and community member in Conway," the site reads. "If someone has spent any real time in town, there is a good chance they know Juan.
For years, Juan worked at the local gas station, but Juan was never just the person behind the counter. Neighbors jokingly called Juan the 'Mayor of Conway' because Juan seemed to know everyone." Martinez, who has no prior criminal record, "brought kindness, laughter and conversation" to customers at the shop known as the Red Barn gas station prior to being detained as he continued to pursue lawful permanent residency, according to the fundraiser created by Tim Ferrell. "Now Juan is facing a complicated and unusual immigration court process that no one should have to go through alone," the site continues.
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