The manager of Port Washington’s Schmear Bagel & Cafe was detained by ICE agents as he arrived at work outside the shop on Thursday, June 12, an employee told Schneps Media LI.
Fernando Mejia, 41, immigrated from El Salvador about 20 years ago and has been living in the United States since. An employee said he was detained for allegedly overstaying his visa.
ICE’s website has an online database for locating detainees, which states Mejia is being held in a New York City detention center.
Mejia managed the bagel shop on Port Washington’s Main Street, but had also previously managed the Harbor Deli Too down the street on Old Shore Road.
A person who knows Mejia but asked to remain anonymous described Mejia as a “nice guy” who was responsible, a hard worker and cared deeply about his 14-year-old daughter.
The employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said her manager’s detention has angered her.
“I’m about to start protesting,” the employee said.
The Schmear employee said the main concern with Mejia’s detainment is his recent history of medical issues.
She said he has recently spent weeklong stints in the hospital for a medical condition and that his family and colleagues were concerned about the care he would be getting in a detention center.
After detaining Mejia, ICE agents returned to the store to get his medications, the employee said.
She said his family has been informed that he has five days to get a lawyer and that they are seeking options.
A GoFundMe was created to support Mejia and his family. In less than 24 hours, it has raised more than $15,000.
The fundraiser description states that money raised would help his family hire an attorney, cover legal fees, travel expenses, support his family and various other associated costs.
The detainment of Mejia comes amid a wave of activity across Long Island, following the detainment of four individuals at a Glen Cove train station and the alleged wrongful detainment of a Brentwood man in Westbury.
Port Washington community members had reported that ICE agents were present throughout the Port Washington area the day Mejia was detained, allegedly questioning other individuals in the area.
Mejia was the only individual reported by community members to have been detained.
These actions mirror a nationwide trend, with an increase in reports across the United States of people being detained by ICE agents. This is happening notably in Los Angeles, where protests have erupted in opposition to these detainments.
Two days after Mejia was detained, a No Kings protest was held in Port Washington, where protesters chanted his name and shouted, “ICE is not welcome here.”
The employee at Shmear said recent detainments have fostered an environment of fear, locally in Port Washington and across the Island. She said many people, like the workers at her local deli in Westbury, have stopped coming into work out of fear.
Read more:
ICE detains 4 people near train station in Glen Cove
Man alleges he was wrongfully detained, handcuffed by ICE in Westbury
Migrant roundups: ICE raids have chilling effects
Locals take action to protect immigrants’ rights amid fear after federal policy changes
