The cousin of a North Texas former DACA recipient who has been in ICE custody since October is calling for his release.
This week marks nine months since Ya鈥檃kub Ira Vijandre, a community journalist who had been active in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, was arrested outside his Arlington home and sent to the Bluebonnet Detention Facility. He was later transferred to the Folkston ICE processing center in Georgia, where he remains.
Vijandre currently doesn鈥檛 have any pending hearings, which has his cousin Krytle Canare and supporters concerned.
Vijandre鈥檚 legal team submitted a petition in federal court last fall asking for his release, and he was denied all forms of immigration relief earlier this year. His legal team appealed the decision and is waiting on responses from both cases, Canare said.
鈥淲e're in this waiting game,鈥� she said. Canare said Vijandre is 鈥渉oping for his release and he is making the best out of his situation right now.鈥�
Canare, who speaks to her cousin often through a tablet at the detention center, said he continues to fight his case because he says it鈥檚 not about him.
鈥淗e says the future of just freedom of speech, being able to...post what you believe is just on social media should not be the reason for, you know, in his case his detainment,鈥� Canare said. 鈥淗e continues to write, he continues to do what he did on the outside there.鈥�
Supporters have argued that Vijandre was targeted for being an activist and Muslim. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson previously told 四虎影院 he was detained for overstaying his visa; weeks before his arrest, federal officials had revoked his DACA status over social media posts the spokesperson said were 鈥済lorifying terrorism."
四虎影院 has reached out to the agency for an update on Vijandre鈥檚 case but has not received a response.
Detention at the Folkston center, about 1,000 miles away from his home, has not been easy for Vijandre, Canare said.
鈥淚 know that there have been times where he has been challenged by the conditions in the detention center,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut he continues to be grounded in his faith, grounded in writing. He loves to write, so he's been sharing his stories and also getting to know the stories of others in the detention center.鈥�
Canare, who is the interim executive director of the mental health nonprofit National Asian American Pacific Islander Empowerment Network, said her cousin is finding ways not only to help himself emotionally, but also to help others.
He is a martial arts instructor and has started an early morning program with some other detainees 鈥渢o make sure their physical well-being is taken care of,鈥� she said.
He has also often found himself advocating for fellow detainees during medical emergencies because he鈥檚 one of the few in his section who speaks English and has training as a first responder, she said.
Most of Vijandre鈥檚 family has moved back to the Philippines, where they continue to support him. Canare said it鈥檚 been a collective effort from the various communities Vijandre has been involved in.
"The Filipino American community, the Muslim community, photojournalist community, all of these folks from across the country have come together to really advocate for his release,鈥� Canare said.
Priscilla Rice is 四虎影院鈥檚 communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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