As we shared with you on Friday, Livingston County dairy worker, father, CNY community leader, and member of the Workers Center of CNY Jose Coyote Perez was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jose remains in custody, but is grateful for the outpouring of support from the local community.
Jose is an activist for immigrant and low wage workers. He fought for immigrants to be included in the Fight for $15 minimum wage campaign, and has advocated for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants in the Green Light NY: Driving Together campaign.
Originally from Mexico, Jose walked for two weeks across the desert to come to the US more than 15 years ago. Since then, he has worked on more than a dozen dairy farms, often working 16-hour days so New Yorkers can have fresh milk on the table. Jose is the father of four US children, and has a permit to work in the US, a social security card, and he was about to get a driver’s license. His ICE case was administratively closed in September. Nevertheless, he was detained on February 24, 2017.
Two days prior, Jose was a victim of workplace violence. He was assaulted by a co-worker and called 911 for help. The local police responded, but no arrests were made. On Thursday, Jose received a phone call from the ICE Buffalo Field Office/Federal Detention Facility in Batavia NY ordering him to report to the facility to sign a paper. Jose complied, and was arrested upon arrival.
Rally Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Tuesday February 28th at 12 pm in Perseverance Park (corner of Salina and Fayette streets), the Workers Center of CNY has been invited to the Resist Trump Tuesday rally (a weekly event put on by the mayor’s office to fight back against Trump’s agenda) to raise awareness about the campaign to get Jose released, and the broader fight for immigrants’ rights.
Join us at noon to show solidarity with Jose!
(Some folks will be meeting at the Workers Center at 2013 E. Genesee Street at 11:00 am to make signs, and then we will make our way downtown to the rally.)
Please continue to call the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility office of the Chief Counsel
(716) 551-4741, and press 4# (four followed by the # sign)
Proposed Script:
“My name is ______. I want to bring to the attention of the Chief Counsel the case of Jose Coyote Perez, A#099757267, who is in the Batavia Detention Facility. He is the father of four children and a community leader in Upstate and Central New York, member of the Workers’ Center of CNY and other community organizations.”
Be prepared! They may tell you that is not the place to call, but just tell them you want to leave a message for the Chief Counsel (if she doesn’t answer). It is very important to tell them the A# 099757267.
Log your call here. Sign the petition here. Donate to the Workers Center to help them lead the campaign to #freejose here.
Jose is in good spirits. He knows he has a lot of support from all over Upstate and Central New York. Thank you for the support you have already shown and let’s continue to show our support!
Rosemarie Ericson
Just spoke with Paul House, who answered the phone at 716-843-7600 by saying “Deportation.” He told me his title is Control Specialist, and that director Michael Phillip has retired. I repeated the script above re: Jose Coyote Perez being illegally detained, and insisted on leaving my name and number, which Paul appeared to write down. After hanging up, I remembered I hadn’t given Jose’s case number, which is A#099757267, so I called back and got someone other than Paul House. When I explained I was calling on behalf of Jose and wanted to get a message to the office director, the man who answered said, “We’re already aware of him,” and hung up on me!
Rosemarie Ericson
Second, I called 716-551-4741 but hit a dead end with extension 2535. I then hit 3#, and the phone was eventually answered by Ray Winkowski, who said he’d take a message for the director. (Didn’t catch the director’s name.) He sounded pleasant and agreed to pass my message re: Jose to the director.
Unfairly Detained by ICE | The Gad About Town
[…] * * * The Central New York (CNY) Solidarity Coalition has done a remarkable job in bringing attention to the story of José Coyote Pérez. A rally was held at noon on February 28 in […]
Irene Belyakov
I called yesterday and the man who picked up the phone interrupted me after my second sentence saying he can’t comment for privacy reasons. I wanted to tell him I don’t need any comments, just to leave a message for his superior, but he just hung up on me. I called again – no one picked up.
I Will call tomorrow again.
Constance Joyce
Spoke with Anthony who gave me another number to call. I called it and got Susan’s voicemail that gave another number to call which was the original #. I got Anthony again gave him grief about the go around and he said they are being inundated with Jose Coyote Perez. To his credit Anthony took my name and number and a message.