HOBOKEN, NJ — A bar in Hoboken is raising funds for their bartender, who they say has now been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than 10 days.
Over the weekend, the restaurant published an update on social media, saying, "After 10 days of captivity, Sebastian's lawyer has informed us that he is being moved to Port Siabel, Texas. No one knows why...Please continue to make noise! It's the only thing we can do."
Sebastian Pasco, a bartender at Cork City Pub in downtown Hoboken, holds a Green Card, the bar noted in a social media post last week. Otherwise known as a Permanent Resident Card, the document means he's a legal immigrant on the path to citizenship, and can work and live in the country.
In a GoFundMe page set up to pay Pasco's legal fees, organizer Daniel DeKemper said Pasco was detained on May 1 on Friday after re-entering the country. The post did not make it clear whether agents gave a reason for his detainment.
"We are now anxiously awaiting a hearing that will hopefully lead to his release," DeKemper wrote. "This sudden and distressing situation has left Sebastian unable to work and separated from his community, friends, and loved ones...the legal process ahead is both complicated and costly."
Cork City representatives did not respond, when asked for a comment.
The fundraiser exceeded its $24,000 goal as of Tuesday, reaching more than $30,000.
A news report in the British media last year shared government statistics about the number of people in American immigration detention centers.
The fundraiser is here.
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