Man detained by ICE was already scheduled to leave, advocates say

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids immigration advocates are seeking the release of a man who they say was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement only days before he was scheduled to leave the country.
Movimiento Cosecha GR and GR Rapid Response to ICE say Carlos Menjivar is at the Calhoun County Correctional Facility, which is an ICE holding facility. ICE did not immediately confirm that to News 8 Wednesday.
The advocacy groups say Menjivar was detained June 4 when he went for what they called a 'routine check-in' at the office for the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program on Michigan Street NE near College Avenue in Grand Rapids.
ISAP is an ICE program in which people are under supervision while their immigration cases make their way through the system, which can take years. Through it, contracted case managers can keep ICE agents up to date on cases and whether people are abiding by the conditions of their release, explains.
'(Menjivar) was asked to come to this ISAP office with his paperwork, so his passport, and approve of them leaving (the United States). They had agreed, actually verbally agreed, with the ISAP office to departure this Saturday,' Movimiento Cosecha organizer Gema Lowe said at a Wednesday news conference.
She said ISAP workers were supposed to check the paperwork and plane tickets for their return to Menjivar's native El Salvador. Instead, she said, he was 'arbitrarily' detained and ICE now has his and his family's passports.
'This family, they have been compliant to everything Immigration has asked them since they came to this country as refugees in 2017,' Lowe said.
She argued that asking Menjivar to report to the ISAP office was a 'trap.'
At the news conference, one of Menjivar's children held a sign that read, 'Te amamos, Papa,' or 'We love you, Dad,' in Spanish.
ICE did not immediately provide answers after Target 8 sought information about Menjivar's status and details about how frequently people are detained at ISAP check-ins.
GR Rapid Response to ICE organizer Jeff Smith suggested between eight and 10 people were detained at the ISAP office June 4. It was unclear how he reached that count. ICE has not provided any information.
Immigration advocates went to the ISAP office that day and Grand Rapids police were called to ask them to leave. Smith said everyone who went to an ISAP appointment after the advocates arrived was allowed to leave as expected. Smith said the group is now offering to send advocates with people when they have appointments.
Smith said advocates are calling for Menjivar to be released in time for the family's scheduled departure Saturday, that the passports be returned to the family for that travel and that ICE documentation note he left voluntarily. They have also asked U.S. senators and representatives to intervene.
In the meantime, Menjivar's wife and three children are seeking sanctuary at Fountain Street Church, a nondenominational Christian church in downtown Grand Rapids, the advocates say.
'When the residents of our community are under attack or under threat, our doors are open to provide shelter and sanctuary,' Rev. Nathan Dannison, the pastor at Fountain Street Church, said. 'Our beliefs here at Fountain Street compel us to act.'
Smith called on other Grand Rapids faith organizations to offer themselves up as sanctuaries.
'We're asking the public to see what's happening. This is the faces that they are brave enough to show and say, 'We're here,'' Lowe said. 'Even though they did they did everything they were asked to, they've still been separated. It's structural violence.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Schmidt had pleaded no contest to the charge in 2015, despite disputing that the drugs were his; he was unaware that the controlled-substance conviction marked him in the immigration system as inadmissible. He said he was never notified of these implications of a no-contest plea, nor had he been stopped by CBP after an earlier international trip in 2017. Once the immigration charges against Schmidt became clear, lawyers for Schmidt on both coasts swung into action. In California, a criminal attorney re-opened the drug case and was able to get it dismissed from the system. (Grounds for that dismissal: the substance Schmidt was charged with possessing had never been tested to confirm what it was.) In Boston, his immigration attorney worked to secure a hearing with an immigration judge. The hearing finally happened on May 8. The judge dismissed Schmidt's immigration case in minutes. Time moves differently in here. 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Although the Wyatt holds immigration-related detainees, Hodgkins wants people to understand it is designed to hold criminals. She said the staff there had no interest in helping her with the logistics of visitation or keeping her partner comfortable and connected while inside. 'They're not going to be nice to you,' she said. 'They're not going to be helpful to you.' Schmidt went back to work in early June. When he was away, his projects were either put on hold, or his work had to be delegated to other people, Wilson, his coworker, said. 'I'm very relieved that he's been released,' he said, 'and very concerned for our judicial system.' In a June 2 Facebook post, Hodgkins wrote about feeling anxious, even as Schmidt was excited about his first day back to work. 'No one prepares you for the fear and uncertainty that comes with being separated from a loved one under such traumatic circumstances,' she wrote. 'But today, we're beginning to find our rhythm again.' This story was originally published by Rhode Island Current. Like Maine Morning Star, Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@

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2 hours ago

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Not a single illegal border-crosser was released into the U.S. in May 2025, compared to more than 62,000 dumped into the country in May 2024 under Biden. Americans are fed up. A New York Times poll shows 87 percent support deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records. Even 63 percent back deporting those who entered illegally under Biden, and 55 percent want all illegal immigrants removed. These numbers obliterate Democrats' delusions. Legal immigrant voters may be turning on Democrats harder than anyone else. In 2020, they favored Democrats by 32 points on the immigration issue. Now they trust Trump and Republicans more by a net 8 points — an astonishing 40-point swing, per CNN's Harry Enten. The verdict is clear: Americans—and immigrants—are done with Democrats' lawless and calculated sabotage of border enforcement under Biden. They are rallying behind Trump's bold, results-driven vision of law and order. While Trump's immigration policies deliver results, Democrats are consumed by petty theatrics. Their obsession with stunts is endangering Americans. Rep. Lamonica McIver (D-N.J.) has been indicted for obstructing law enforcement during a DHS operation. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) turned a Homeland Security press event into a circus, only to be detained for his antics. These aren't isolated incidents — they comprise a pattern of Democrats prioritizing showmanship over safety. In Wisconsin, Judge Hannah Dugan was indicted for allegedly helping an illegal alien evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A judge betraying the very laws she's sworn to uphold? It is a disgrace that undermines trust in the justice system and cripples law enforcement. The contrast is stark: Trump delivers results, while Democrats play games with American cities fuel chaos, shielding dangerous criminal illegal aliens and crippling law enforcement. By refusing to work with immigration agents to hand over immigrants who have been arrested, these jurisdictions simply force them to go looking for them in neighborhoods — endangering both citizens and non-criminal illegal migrants, as well as wasting resources. Meanwhile, violent illegal alien offenders exploit these policies to escape justice. Worse, sanctuary policies push the lie that illegal entry is harmless. It isn't. Under Title 8 of the U.S. Code, illegal entry is a crime, and re-entry after deportation carries even more severe penalties. Ignoring these laws doesn't just erode the rule of law — it sends a reckless message: Break the law, face no consequences. Sanctuary cities don't protect — they endanger. Americans deserve better. Illegal immigration isn't just a border crisis. It is an all-out assault on America's sovereignty and safety. Under Biden, individuals from over 160 countries, including terror-sponsoring nations, stormed the border. Many destroyed their identification papers in order to avoid being vetted. Hostile regimes such as Venezuela and Cuba refuse to share intelligence, leaving America vulnerable. The result? Criminals and potential terrorists have been slipping through, endangering American lives. And to call them 'undocumented' instead of 'illegal' isn't compassion — it's a blatant lie. Democrats are intentionally whitewashing lawbreaking to push mass amnesty, all to secure a permanent voter base. This isn't policy — it's a reckless power grab that jeopardizes national security for the sake of political control. The price? Potentially catastrophic. Democrats' relentless obstruction of Trump's immigration policies is nothing short of a betrayal of America. By championing open borders and sanctuary cities, they have turned their backs on safety, security, and the rule of law. While Americans overwhelmingly demand stronger enforcement, Democrats bow to radical ideologies, leaving our nation exposed and vulnerable. Their reckless, self-serving agenda is an insult to every American. But in 2026, voters will again deliver a clear verdict: no more lies, no more chaos, no more betrayal. Ford O'Connell is an attorney, a veteran Republican operative and political analyst, and adjunct professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.