Protesters rally for release of “Long Island 3” following June ICE arrests
Kerin "Romero" Rodriguez Ulloa, Miriam "Mia" Burga Mendez and Ricardo "Chelito" Arevalo Baires were all detained by ICE agents on Long Island in June.
Dozens of supporters of the so-called "Long Island 3" gathered Saturday to protest the arrest of three people by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling for their release from ICE custody.
Kerin "Romero" Rodriguez Ulloa, Miriam "Mia" Burga Mendez and Ricardo "Chelito" Arevalo Baires were all detained by ICE agents on Long Island in June. Protestors say they were arrested for telling people were ICE agents were on social media, and that agents used excessive force to take them into custody.
"We call for the immediate release of all these brave community defenders," said Cheryl Keshner of the Long Island Immigrant Justice Alliance. "Every person in this country is protected by the First Amendment right to document and expose government abuse. These recent arrests were designed to frighten and silence us. We are here to say that we will remain united against ICE abuse, and we will not back down."
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement to News 12, "These allegations are false. ICE did not arrest activists for filming them—all three of these subjects are illegal aliens with no right to remain in the United States."
Advocates say Ulloa was arrested on June 8 outside a USCIS Application Processing Center in Hauppauge while alerting the community to ICE’s presence with a whistle. They say he was violently detained by agents and later denied adequate medical care.
A DHS spokesperson said Rodriguez Ulloa, a Honduran national, attempted to flee from officers, fell, and failed to comply after being told there was a warrant for his arrest. DHS says he was taken to South Shore University Hospital for a medical evaluation, medically cleared, and then placed into ICE custody.
Ulloa’s girlfriend, Gigi, told News 12 "He was beaten, taken to the hospital, and they neglected him medically. He's still suffering from those injuries."
DHS says Ulloa entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date and location and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Mendez was arrested by ICE on June 16.
Advocates describe her as a Freeport-based chaplain and rapid responder who has her window shattered was while livestreaming on TikTok before being detained. They allege ICE ignored her repeated requests to produce a warrant.
A DHS spokesperson said Mendez illegally entered the United States through Arizona on Sept. 12, 2003, from El Salvador, and as part of a targeted enforcement operation, was taken into custody.
DHS says officers informed her they had a warrant for her arrest and issued multiple lawful commands in English and Spanish for her to exit her vehicle, which she refused.
The agency says officers then used the minimum amount of force necessary to make the arrest. They say Mendez was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2004, but failed to leave the country and remains in ICE custody pending removal.
Arevalo Baires was arrested on June 15 while driving home from work in Copiague, according to advocates, who say he frequently used social media to inform the Latino community about ICE activity on Long Island.
ICE says Arevalo Baires, an El Salvadoran national, illegally entered the U.S. near Hidalgo, Texas, on March 1, 2013, and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
In a statement, DHS said, "Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
