A longtime Seaside resident and business owner who was arrested by federal immigration officers last week appears to have been abruptly transferred from a detention facility in Washington state.
Martin Anguiano, the 63-year-old owner of Guadalajara Taco Shop in Seaside, was being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. His family said he called early Tuesday morning to let them know he was being transferred, but that he wasn’t told where he was going. His wife, Michelle Anguiano, told KMUN on Wednesday that they have no idea where he is now.
KMUN reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for more information, but did not receive a response before deadline.
Martin Anguiano was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Sept.10. A spokesperson told KMUN he faced drug-related charges in 1993 and was deported, but returned to the country.
Anguiano’s family have pushed back at ICE’s characterization. They are working with an attorney and believe they have a strong case for getting Anguiano out.
“Right now, I’m just really worried that we can’t find him and I feel like it’s already been a while,” Michelle Angiuano said.
They are relying on a detainee locator provided by ICE for information about Martin Anguiano’s whereabouts, but Michelle Anguiano said she has not seen any current information for her husband.
“They update that whenever they choose to,” she said. “They don’t care about the families that are suffering.”
Earlier this week, the Seaside City Council read a proclamation declaring “Latin American Heritage Month.”
In public comments following the proclamation, Seaside resident and notary Joslyn Baker said she was with Anguiano’s family following his arrest.
“He’s a stable community business owner and well-known in the community, well-loved in the community,” she said. “And I’m here to just say out loud that we were sold a lie by (President) Donald Trump and other people saying that they were going to get the worst of the worst, and this is not who (Anguiano) is.”
“He has tried and tried to engage in a process that does not exist for people who want to be in the country the way that myself and my family members came over as immigrants generations ago,” Baker added.
She encouraged the city councilors to consider other steps they can take to protect community members who might be targeted by ICE.
During her own comments at the end of the meeting, City Councilor Tita Montero responded, saying ICE has not gone away.
“Don’t forget that they are still around and they are still coming around,” she said, adding, “One of the ways we think about how we support the Latinx community, it’s not just words. It’s also actions.”