'Bring Miguel home' rally calls for return of Livermore father arrested by ICE
"Bring Miguel home" rally calls for return of Livermore father arrested by ICE
A large crowd gathered in downtown Livermore Wednesday night to voice support for Miguel Lopez. The father of three is being held by ICE following his detention at an immigration hearing in San Francisco.
LIVERMORE, Calif. - A large crowd gathered in downtown Livermore Wednesday night to voice support for Miguel Lopez. The father of three is being held by ICE following his detention at an immigration hearing in San Francisco.
Rally held in Downtown Livermore for Miguel Lopez
Cars honked their horns, and family members got emotional, as hundreds of people rallied in Livermorium Plaza, calling for Miguel Lopez to be returned home.
"I feel loved. I feel like I'm being heard finally," said Rosa Lopez, Miguel's wife. "I feel a lot of support from not just friends, family, teachers, the community."
The backstory:
Rosa Lopez says her husband was detained by ICE agents at the immigration facility in San Francisco on May 27, after he had reported for a regular check-in with authorities.
The couple has been married since 2001. Rosa Lopez is a U.S. citizen. Miguel Lopez is undocumented, brought to the U.S. by his parents from Mexico City when he was 18. For years, the family has lived in Livermore, where they've raised three children, amid a drawn-out court battle trying to get Miguel legal status.
What they're saying:
"He always shows a lot of love, not only for his family, but his friends," said Lopez's daughter Stephanie. "I feel like him not being here is a big difference. I can feel it."
"Miguel's a really good man. He has worked at a local vineyard for over nine years, paying taxes. This isn't someone that should be ripped from his home," said Laura Bertoli Brown, Lopez's son's former teacher.
Could Miguel Lopez be deported?
What we know:
Lopez's attorney says he's currently being held at a facility in McFarland, California, but it's unclear how long he'll be there.
"If he is removed before his district court case is adjudicated, I think that his chances of ever returning to the United States are zero," said Saad Ahmad, Miguel Lopez's attorney.
"I'm just angry at what they're doing. They're just taking people unfairly," said Rosa Lopez.
Miguel Lopez's family is hoping this show of support--much of it from total strangers--will make a difference.
"It means the world to us. It feels great to have a lot of people be here for us," said Stephanie Lopez.
The other side:
Regarding Lopez's case, ICE says any noncitizen in the U.S. without legal status is subject to removal, including those whose court appeals are ongoing.
The Source: Interviews conducted by KTVU's John Krinjak
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