New Havener Jhon Llanos contributed the following first-person piece about an experience had had in the New Haven police lock-up, in which he was told he was going to be held and referred to federal immigration authorities in contravention of New Haven’s sanctuary city policies. Asked for a response, Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said that as soon as he was alerted to the situation, he intervened and Llanos was released from custody “within minutes.” He attributed the episode to a “misunderstanding”: “We dealt with it and clarified it” with the officer involved.
On Saturday, May 16, around 3 am, the police arrived at my home where, one hour earlier, I had gotten into an argument with my partner. We were fine, and we had talked and hugged things out.
The police asked us a lot of questions and told us that one of our neighbors had reported us. We were detained and taken to the NHPD jail at 1 Union Ave. at around 4 am. They put us in separate jail cells.
In jail, I met a man named Yoshio Laureano Garcia who was in a cell facing mine, and he explained to me that the police had beaten him in his cell. He told me that the two police officers had arrived and hit him repeatedly. I would like to think that what happened has been recorded by the cameras at the facility. The bruises and wounds on his body were visible.
In jail, a Latina police officer asked me my name, nationality, social security number, and immigration status. I gave her my name and nationality, and I explained to her that I had no social security number, but I have a TIN Number — Taxpayer Identification Number. Immediately she said that she would have to report me to ICE because I did not have a social security number. I asked her why she would do that, since this was the first time that I had ever been detained, but she argued that she was required to report all undocumented people who entered the facility to ICE, regardless of what had happened. When I continued to ask her the reason why, she said, “This is the law.”
After that, while she was on duty, I estimated that there were five times when I engaged in conversation with her again and asked her what was going to happen to me, and she continued to repeat that ICE could come for me, either that day (Saturday) or Monday at the courthouse.
Eventually, the representative from the Bail Commissioner’s office arrived, and she asked me the standard questions, and she told me that I would likely be released without bail. However, she also told me that ICE would be informed of my release and that in the following two hours they would be coming for me.
She left, and about one hour later, the police officer explained to me that they were waiting on a response from ICE, so as to know if ICE would come to pick me up that day.
Finally, I was allowed a phone call and got in touch with John Lugo of the immigrants’ rights organization Unidad Latina en Accion (ULA) around 10:30 in the morning. ULA got in touch with a bondsman, and here is where the second part of this story begins.
I trusted that I would get out of there quickly, because the ULA representative told me that if the bail was paid, I would be released quickly. But the hours slowly passed by and nothing happened. Only the words of the police officer repeated in my head over and over again: ICE could arrive that very same day. Fortunately, we ended up being released around 3:30 pm. A group of ULA members were outside waiting for me, and they told me the long story of how difficult it was to get me out.
After I had called ULA, John Lugo had called a trusted bail bondsman office, Porky’s Bail Bond. Porky’s sent one of their representatives to the NHPD jail, and once he had finished the paperwork, the police officer in charge told him that even if he posted bail, the two people would not be released, because there was a “detainer request” from ICE. Porky’s Office called ULA, and ULA stated that this was a violation of New Haven’s General Order 06 – 02, New Haven’s Sanctuary City Executive Order, and the CT Trust Act.
Through their many phone calls, ULA managed to get a hold of lawyers at Yale Law School, Kica Matos of Mayor Elicker’s transition team, Mayor Justin Elicker, and the Chief of Police. After many calls back and forth, ULA made it clear that the police were violating the law. The Mayor explained that people should be released if they pay bail and the Chief of Police said that all of his officers know they are not supposed to work with ICE and that he would talk to the officer who was in charge at the detention center that night.
We were freed, but we left with a bitter taste in our mouths. Long ago we began attending ULA meetings, and ULA always insisted that Connecticut did not work with ICE, except in very serious criminal cases. Since 2006, the city of New Haven has a General Order of Police mandating limited collaboration with ICE.
What we lived through that night suggests the complete opposite. The arrogance of these officials, who threatened us with phone calls to ICE. The violence they use with the other prisoners there, such as Yoshio. The brazen manner of the police officer in charge at the front desk, when I asked him why he would call Immigration. He gave this outrageous response: He did not know about the law limiting collaboration with ICE, but now he knew.
The bitter taste is this: How many immigrants have been arrested by NHPD without knowing their rights, without knowing how to call ULA? How many people has the NHPD turned over to ICE, and nobody found out?
I personally hope that this incident serves a purpose. That New Haven will finally become a Sanctuary City and that every police officer will know that the immigrant community is protected by municipal and state law.
I am prepared to speak to whoever I need to and make the necessary complaints so that incidents like this never happen again.
Just two more details. This is my testimony, but when ULA asked my partner the same questions about the behavior of the Latina police officer, she corroborated that the police officer had said the same to her. That she would not be released and taken by ICE, and that the officer had said this to her on two separate occasions.
Another detail. When we were locked up, they did not give us PPE. No gloves, no masks, not even soap to wash our hands. And the city authorities talk so much about protecting everyone. Since then, my partner has fallen ill and tomorrow she is going to take the COVID-19 test. I am also going to take the test just in case.