Lyons man among 22 suing ICE for illegal arrests

A Lyons man, Abel Orozco, is one of 22 individuals claiming that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested them illegally. His family is deeply affected by his detention, which has been ongoing for two months. Orozco's wife, Yolanda, expressed confusion about why her husband, who has worked hard for 27 years, was taken by ICE. She said, “Is it a crime to get up early every day and work hard to support your family?” Orozco's son, Eduardo, recorded the incident when agents came to their home and said he saw his father being taken away while he screamed for help. The family's attorney, Mark Fleming, stated that ICE did not have the proper warrants and breached a 2022 settlement that requires proof of a flight risk before an arrest. According to the attorney, Abel was taken even though only their oldest son was allegedly wanted by ICE and he was not at home during the arrest. Eduardo is concerned about how their family's situation is affecting their workers as well. He emphasized the importance of community and said, “They've got bills. They've got medicine. They've got food.” Activists, like Xanat Sobrevilla from Organizing Communities Against Deportation, also stressed that everyone deserves to be treated humanely.