Bronx food pantry founder remains in ICE custody at Delaney Hall detention center
In an X post Saturday, Torres said he visited Aleksander Nijal at Delaney Hall to “ensure he receives the medical care he needs and to demand his release.”
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The Bronx food pantry founder who Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained on Monday remains in custody at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center, according to Rep. Ritchie Torres.
In an X post Saturday, Torres said he visited Aleksander Nijal at Delaney Hall to “ensure he receives the medical care he needs and to demand his release.”
Nilaj is the founder and president of the Open Hand Association Food Pantry on Lydig Avenue, which serves 7,000 to 8,000 people each month.
Torres described Nilaj as a community leader and said he has known him for two decades.
Delaney Hall has made headlines for alleged inhuman conditions, including a lack of medical care, which sparked protests as well as a hunger strike. Multiple people have died at the detention center this year.
Open Hand pantry volunteers and community members held a rally on Thursday to fight for Nilaj’s release. They say Nilaj was detained at a routine immigration court appearance in Manhattan.
"It was the saddest thing ever. What he did for this community for the past 14 years. He made sure that people in need had food on their tables for their families. Every day, every afternoon, regardless of what time it was," said Saimir Burgaj, Chairman of the Open Hand pantry.
The community also created a petition, pleading for the return of the beloved community leader.
Pantry volunteers told News 12 they will not distribute food without Nilaj because they cannot handle the operation without him. They said if he does not return, the pantry will close indefinitely.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described Nilja as “an illegal alien from Albania.”
DHS provided a statement that read, in part, “He legally entered the U.S. on a temporary basis on October 1, 2006 and illegally overstayed his lawful admittance in violation of our laws. He received due process and was ordered removed by an immigration judge on July 22, 2008. This administration will not ignore the rule of law.”
Nilaj’s lawyer declined to comment on the case.
Torres full statement on X read as follows:
“I traveled to the ICE Delaney Hall Detention Facility to fight for my constituent, Aleksander Nilaj, to ensure he receives the medical care he needs and to demand his release. I have known Alek for two decades as a community leader. He runs a food pantry that serves thousands of families in need. He is beloved by the Bronx community because he is one of us. Tearing apart Alek's family and the community that needs and loves him is cruelty. Pure and simple.”
