On Sunday, August 26th, our dear friend and DC resident of 15 years, Benjamín Ordoñez, was arrested by the DC Metropolitan Police Department for an alleged theft. The police told him there was an ICE detainer request against him, and he was held until ICE agents came and took him away.

This goes directly against Mayor Muriel Bowser's promises that the DC police do not cooperate with ICE, and that DC is a sanctuary city.

Benjamin is currently being detained in Norfolk City Jail in Virginia waiting for deportation proceedings to begin. He has had to give up his job and apartment, he is far away from his friends and family, but he is committed to fighting this injustice.

We cannot let ICE come into our community and kidnap our loved ones and neighbors with help from DC police. Its time for Mayor Bowser to fulfill her pledge to make DC a sanctuary city by defending our community against ICE and bringing Benjamin back home.