Enrique detained at ICE facility in Warwick after check-in
The Rhode Island father detained while holding his two young children in October is now in Massachusetts custody.
By Leah Thompson ·
Enrique, a 24-year-old construction worker in Rhode Island, is currently held in an immigration facility in Massachusetts. His wife, Petronila, told the Davidson County Herald on Thursday that he was taken into custody this week after reporting to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Warwick, Rhode Island.
The detention follows a viral incident on Oct. 20 when two ICE agents stopped Enrique on a residential street in Providence. Video of the event shows the agents grabbing his arms and shoulders while he held his 3-year-old son and 21-month-old daughter. The children cried and clung to him as the agents spoke into a handheld radio, asking a colleague if they should keep him or let him go.
Enrique stated that he was driving to drop off his children with a babysitter shortly after 7:30 a.m. when he noticed unmarked vehicles following him. He pulled onto the curb, damaging his tire and bumper, and then attempted to walk the children home. Agents stopped him and held him on the street for approximately one hour before releasing the family. They told him he was required to report to ICE, and if he failed to do so, they could arrest the entire family.
A letter received last week instructed Enrique to report to the Warwick facility on Tuesday. He complied and called his wife shortly after arriving to inform her he had been detained. Petronila, 23, said in Spanish that Enrique decided to go so the rest of the family would not be in danger of arrest.
ICE previously characterized the October incident as a routine stop. A spokesperson said in a statement that there was no arrest or detention of children and that the driver struck the curb and damaged his own tire. The agency called the description of officers attempting to detain Enrique while he held his children fake news. DHS did not immediately respond to questions about his current detention on Thursday.
The family is from Guatemala. Enrique crossed the border illegally three years ago and had been seeking legal help to adjust his status. Petronila is in asylum proceedings. She now supports three children on a single income from a part-time job at a local grocery store. Her eldest child, who is in kindergarten, recently asked if his father had been taken.
Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed condemned the agency's actions in a statement after the video was published. He said no Rhode Islander could watch the video and think the agents' actions were acceptable. He urged ICE to stop terrorizing children and communities and to prioritize public safety. Petronila is currently searching for an attorney for her husband's case.
