U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) has told the Business Journal that the Port Chester volunteer fireman who was taken into custody by ICE agents and remains locked up had been facing a long-standing order from a judge to be deported.
ICE agents arrested 43-year-old Milton Guamarrigra-Loja early on July 29 as he was leaving the Port Chester house where he lives with his wife and three children and was on his way to work at a stone installation company. In addition to his full-time job, he served as a volunteer fireman for the Village of Port Chester. His family had said that he had hopes of being a full-time paid firefighter, but could not qualify because of his immigration status.
In staging the arrest, Guamarrigra-Loja was handcuffed by ICE agents and put into a black SUV. ICE identified him to the Business Journal by his full name, Milton Geovanny Guamarrigra-Loja. Initial reports of his arrest had identified him as Milton Guamarrigra.
ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, Guamarrigra, is “a criminal illegal alien from Ecuador. His criminal history includes three DWIs (driving while intoxicated).”
McLaughlin said that Guamarrigra entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown time and place. She did not explain why, in the 19 years since the judge’s order, Guamarrigra had not previously been deported.
McLaughlin said that he is currently being held by the government at the Calhoun County Correctional Center in Michigan.
“This serial drunk driver is a public safety threat,” McLaughlin said. “Too many innocent lives have been lost at the hands of illegal aliens driving under the influence. Just this week, DHS highlighted the tragedies of Rickey Maddox who was killed by an illegal alien driving under the influence in Louisiana and the death of a mom and her 11-year-old daughter in New Jersey by another illegal alien.”
Guamarrigra’s daughter, Joselyn, said that her father had an application for a green card pending and she hoped that he will not now be deported. She is the organizer of a “GoFundMe” page to raise money to help with his legal expenses.
“He is a loving father, a hardworking man, and someone who has always put his family first,” the family’s message said on the GoFundMe page. “Unfortunately, the legal process ahead is overwhelming and expensive. We are raising funds to cover legal representation, court fees, and any related costs to ensure he receives a fair chance and that we can work toward bringing him home.”
The GoFundMe page had raised $10,003 as of the afternoon of August 9.
