Federal officials have released José Gonzalez, the longtime manager at BiCE Ristorante in Palm Beach, from immigration detention, sources confirmed to The Palm Beach Post on Dec. 22.
“I feel so blessed,” Jose said in Spanish from his brother’s living room in the West Palm Beach area. “It’s so exciting. It was so many days and it finally became a reality.”
The Florida Highway Patrol had arrested Gonzalez, a 53-year-old native of Mexico, during a Dec. 10 traffic stop in West Palm Beach because of questions about whether he is in the United States legally. He has worked at the Worth Avenue landmark restaurant for more than 20 years.
Javier Gonzalez, José’s younger brother, picked up Jose from Krome Detention Center in southern Miami-Dade County to return him to his West Palm Beach-area home, where his family anxiously waited to hug him, said Jose’s girlfriend Darlene Mendoza.
Prior to his transfer to Krome, authorities had housed Gonzalez at Alligator Alcatraz, the immigration detention center between Naples and Miami, for nearly a week. Critics have condemned conditions at the facility, which opened this summer with a visit from President Donald Trump himself.
➤ Palm Beach vigil: Calls for release of BiCE manager from detention
Javier Gonzalez, Jose’s younger brother, on Monday picked up Jose from Krome to bring him to his West Palm Beach home where his family anxiously waited to hug him, said Jose’s girlfriend, Darlene Mendoza.
“I am still overwhelmed, but I am so grateful for everything the community has done for me,” Jose said. “I don’t have words to thank them. I hope one day I can thank each person one by one.”
Javier said the efforts both of Palm Beach residents who raised his case to members of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach and of local elected officials made the release possible.
“It was the community of Palm Beach that saved Jose,” Javier said. “Jose has served them for so many years, and they paid back all the good he has done for them for so many years.”
“Yesterday with the vigil I felt we were close,” Javier said in Spanish. “His release happened three days before Christmas and it’s a relief for everyone because he did not deserve to be there.”
“God had my moment for me to come out,” Jose added with a laugh.
Gonzalez’s work at BiCE Ristorante made him popular across Palm Beach
Gonzalez’s work at BiCE has made him one of the most popular figures in Palm Beach. He started working there bussing tables and worked his way up to become the luxe restaurant’s manager or “maître d’.”
His detention, part of Trump’s efforts to enforce laws about immigrants in the nation without documentation, sparked outrage among residents in Palm Beach, home of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
“It’s a Christmas miracle,” said Margie Yansura, a West Palm Beach resident who organized the Dec. 21 rally. “I just can’t stop smiling.”
Over 50 people gathered on Dec. 21 at Palm Beach’s Via Mizner Dec. 21 for a prayer vigil for Gonzalez to call for his release. The event’s attendees included U.S. Rep Lois Frankel, by Rep. Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss and local attorney Jack Scarola.
“José is not a threat to public safety. He’s a member of our community,” said Weiss, who represents the area and was among those who spoke at the vigil. “People here have known him for decades, have trusted him for decades, and if we can’t recognize the difference, then we have another problem here in this country.”
A petition calling for Jose’s release gathered almost 2,000 signature and a GoFundMe set up to help Jose’s family cover his legal costs has raised over $3,000, according to figures available online.
Gonzalez’s arrest came alongside that of his 22-year-old nephew, Jove Javier Loza Gonzalez, near the entrance ofInterstate 95 and Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach while on a supply run for their food truck.
Jeffrey Devore, an attorney who is repenting José, said José had a pending asylum case and a valid driver’s license and work permit at the time of the arrest. Devore added immigration officials did not issue a citation for his arrest or issued any charges to keep Jose in detention.
Last week, Devore filed a “habeas corpus” order for Jose’s that demands authorities bring a detained person before a court to justify their imprisonment.
The nephew had requested expedited removal back to Mexico, according to family relatives.
Valentina Palm covers immigration and the western communities of Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Federal officials release José Gonzalez from immigration detention
Reporting by Valentina Palm and Diego Diaz Lasa, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
