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Father of 26 years detained by ICE during work; community raises $50,000 for legal support

Aug 8, 2026 · South Orange, NJ, Costa Rica

Father of 26 years detained by ICE during work; community raises $50,000 for legal support

Tonny Quesada-Ramirez, a Costa Rican national who has lived in the United States for approximately 26 years, was detained by ICE agents on August 7, 2026, while working on a home addition project one block from his residence in the South Orange-Maplewood area. He lives with his wife and two children, one of whom has Down's syndrome. Quesada-Ramirez had begun the green card application process when he was detained and is being held at Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark pending removal proceedings. At least four other people, including Omar Alvarez (a sous chef) and two men who work at a roofing company, were detained in the area during the same enforcement activity. A neighbor who had hired Quesada-Ramirez for various carpentry jobs over five years started a GoFundMe that surpassed $36,000, and community members raised over $50,000 total through documenting the enforcement activity, connecting families with resources and attorneys, and fundraising efforts.

Timeline

Aug 8, 2026South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum confirmed detentions; community began documenting enforcement activity and organizing support
Aug 8, 2026Neighbor launched GoFundMe for Quesada-Ramirez's legal defense; community fundraising effort surpassed $50,000
Aug 7, 2026Tonny Quesada-Ramirez and at least four others detained by ICE in South Orange-Maplewood area; detainees held at Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark

Sources

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