A group of immigrant rights groups gathered outside of the Buffalo Detention Facility on Federal Drive in Batavia Thursday morning in support of farm worker/activist Jose Coyote Perez who has been held at the center for the past five weeks.
Perez, of Livingston County, has been detained since February 24, 2017 after reporting an altercation with a co-worker to the police, ICE officials asked him to come in for a meeting. After showing up for the meeting he was detained and today was his first court appearance. Perez is hoping to be released on bail.
Last September, Perez says his case was closed by a judge and he had a work permit, social security number and was about to get his driver’s license. “I felt free finally after living here so long,” Perez says.
Perez who has four children, three of whom are U.S. Citizens, has worked in the NYS Dairy industry for 15 years and has been a community leader who has been active with the Workers’ Justice Center of Central NY and an advocate for farm worker’s rights.
Today the cross section of faith, labor and immigrant rights groups hope to hear that Perez will be released on a reasonable amount of bond so he can return to his family.