WEST HARTFORD, CT — Four members of Connecticut's congressional delegation are urging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release West Hartford business owner Seyo Cecunjanin while his immigration case remains pending.
In a July 1 letter addressed to Patricia Hyde, acting field director of ICE's Boston Field Office, U.S. Reps. John B. Larson, Jim Himes and Rosa DeLauro, along with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, asked the agency to release Cecunjanin from federal custody and provide information about his detention.
According to the lawmakers, Cecunjanin was detained by ICE officers on June 20 during an enforcement operation outside a Dunkin' in West Hartford while he was with two of his sons. He is currently being held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, R.I.
The delegation described Cecunjanin as a longtime West Hartford resident, business owner, and employer who has lived in the United States since 1997 after fleeing the former Yugoslavia during the conflicts associated with Slobodan Milošević's government.
"Mr. Cecunjanin is a law-abiding and highly regarded member of the West Hartford community," the lawmakers wrote. "He is a fixture in the regional restaurant community... Between his two businesses, he employs 15 members of the community."
According to the letter, Cecunjanin owns Portobello Restaurant on Park Road and The Laundry Room on the Ave. on Farmington Avenue. The lawmakers said he is also raising three sons, including one who is still a minor.
The delegation stated Cecunjanin's immigrant visa petition (Form I-130) was approved in 2019 and that he filed an application to adjust his status to a lawful permanent resident (Form I-485) in September 2023.
They said he was interviewed in October 2025, received a valid employment authorization document about two months ago and also holds advance parole authorization that allowed him to travel internationally while his application is pending.
"By all accounts, Mr. Cecunjanin is doing everything that our complicated immigration system is asking of him," the lawmakers wrote.
The letter asks ICE to release Cecunjanin while his immigration case proceeds, provide Congress with detailed information about the status of his case, and confirm by July 6 that he is being held under "humane and sanitary conditions" at the Rhode Island detention facility.
"With these actions, ICE has frightened our communities, American-born and immigrant alike, and creating transparency is the first step to regaining their trust," the delegation wrote. "We respectfully urge you to release Mr. Cecunjanin from your custody back to West Hartford, so that he can be with his family, tend to his businesses, and continue to pursue his permanent residency process."
ICE has not publicly responded to the lawmakers' request.
Cecunjanin's detention has drawn significant attention from elected officials and community members since his arrest.
Supporters have cited his decades-long residence in the United States, his ownership of two West Hartford businesses, and his pending application for lawful permanent resident status in calling for his release.
West Hartford Republicans, however, have defended ICE, saying the agents were doing their job and raised questions about Cecunjanin's immigration status.
From July 1: 'West Hartford GOP Defends ICE After Dems Condemn Restaurateur's Detention'
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