UPDATE: I (Paloma) have been able to communicate with Johnny. He is okay, still at Delaney Hall. I and his son will be visiting him tomorrow. We have a second opinion legal consultation today, and tomorrow. We are working with some employees from Sen. Schumer office to request information directly from DHS to gain insight. We are attempting to get him his medication too. He has a prospective court date for May 19th, virtually. We are assuming based on the first 3 postponements this is also subject to change. Thank you to everyone who has donated and/shared to support❤️
On April 28th around 5pm, Juan “Johnny” Cuahutencos Meza was abducted returning home from work as a result of racial profiling. Agents were allegedly in the area looking for an individual, and approached Johnny entering his apartment gate. He is currently held at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, NJ.
He is set to appear in court on May 6th. Johnny has been a notable community member in East Hampton, Narragansett R.I., and Brooklyn for over 25 years. “Uncle Johnny” has been part of our family since his arrival from Mexico. For nearly three decades, he has been an upstanding community member. He is a talented chef, pizza man, and was my father’s best man at his wedding. His humor and personality light up any room he walks into, and he’s fed hundreds of thousands with his dedication and love of food.
He is a diabetic, with additional health issues, and Delaney Hall is infamously known for its horrible conditions. Time is of the essence in Johnny’s case. Our family has spent years meeting with immigration attorneys to get Johnny documentation so he may safely exist in the communities he helped build. Due to a misdemeanor over 10 years ago, he is facing deportation. He has the potential to spend an unknown amount of time in a detention facility. We are asking for your support to help cover legal expenses to keep Johnny in the U.S.
Please consider sharing if you are unable to contribute, and please share any memories you have had with him.
