'We Need To Get These Men Home': LI Advocacy Group Sounds Cry For Help After 3 Reportedly Detained By ICE

NORTH FORK, NY — Frantic families have shared photos of three Greenport men they say were detained after ICE agents were seen in the area Wednesday morning.

ICE agents sparked a new wave of fear and vigilance on the North Fork as the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was reported at various locations in Greenport Village.

Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island, a Latino-focused advocacy group, told Patch Wednesday that three men, Alexandro Rivera Magana, Martir Zambrano Diaz, and Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio, "have been taken from what we believe to be an ICE raid this morning. At this point we know they have no criminal background, have been here for 20-plus years, and we have no idea of their whereabouts. Most importantly, we need to bring these men home."

She added: "They are peaceful, contributing members of our community. One has a newborn baby — one has a child with autism. We need to bring them home."

ICE media representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.

Residents turned to social media to share sightings of ICE in the community.

"We can confirm that ICE officials were in Greenport Village this morning on Ludlum Place and near the ferry terminal," Southold Town Police Chief Steve Grattan said. "There are rumors that they were in the area of the school; however, we cannot confirm if they were on school property."

Lauren Robert-Demolaize told Patch that she saw ICE agents at the North Ferry Wednesday morning at 6:40 a.m. "I was getting on the ferry and two masked officers with ERO (enforcement and removal officer) vests had a car pulled over next to the ferry dock with a man in the driver's seat. They were definitely there," she said. "All of the people on the ferry that hour of the morning are people going to work to support their families. It was very sad and scary."

Perez reported that one OLA rapid responder saw an ICE vehicle travel on the Long Island Expressway out of the area. "But we don't know where they went," she said.

According to social media reports, ICE agents were pulling people over near the school.

"We're definitely aware of ICE activity reported in the community — but there has been no activity on school grounds," Greenport School Superintendent Beth Doyle told Patch. While there was a photo circulating online Wednesday morning of a pickup truck, that was actually a truck belonging to a member of the school's grounds crew, she said.

Doyle said while the district has an "open campus" for grades 7 to 12: "As a precaution and safety measure, we're keeping a closed campus today. Kids will eat lunch in school instead of going out into the community. Not as a response to any reported ICE activity at the school but as a precautionary safety measure," she said.

Greenport Village Mayor Kevin Stuessi told Patch: "The peaceful calm of a cold morning was interrupted by federal agents in the village for several hours. I’ve spoken with each the town supervisor, school superintendent and police chief about safety concerns by residents and local students alike."

He added: "It was a very scary morning for our local students and families."

Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski told Patch that he'd spoken to Grattan a few times, and called Stuessi.

"The chief is working on official confirmation of the action there. Until we have that, we don't know more," he said.

Krupski added: "We're here to maintain public safety. Chief Grattan sent the school resource officer to the school immediately this morning when he heard."

Krupski said he'd also spoken to Doyle, who told him the district was following the protocol followed by all schools in the area, about what to do during such an incident or when law enforcement shows up. "They're prepared to protect their students' safety," Krupski said.

In recent weeks, the public has turned out to decry ICE in the community, both at a number of vigils and protests and also at a Southold town board meeting.

A Change.org petition, "Urge Our Town Board to Condemn ICE And Protect Us From Illegal ICE Activities," was created by Seth Egan.

“We the undersigned object to the Federal Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies deploying armed, masked and otherwise unidentifiable agents to Southold Town, endangering and disrupting our communities," the petition said.

"We strongly urge and expect the Southold Town council and police commissioners, as our representatives who are charged with protecting and ensuring our community's public safety, to issue a public statement that not only condemns ICE's actions but commits to enforcement of violations of due process and constitutional rights of all members of our community in Southold Town," the petition reads.