ICE Arrests Hispanic Religious Leader as He Leaves His Building in Brooklyn

ICE Arrests Religious Leader

Community Denounces Raids

Due Process Demanded

Sebastián Ordóñez, a 58-year-old Guatemalan and religious leader, was detained by ICE agents as he was leaving his building in Brooklyn, New York.

The arrest occurred on Bay Ridge Parkway, according to City Council member Susan Zhuang, who stated that Ordóñez did not have legal immigration status.

Family members and people close to him say he has no record of violent crimes and has lived in Brooklyn for nearly 20 years.

ICE Detention in Brooklyn Triggers Community Alarm

NY council member on church leader detained by ICE: «We have to stand up against this nonsense» https://t.co/s9YPmxETuG

— The Hill (@thehill) January 17, 2026

Ordóñez was arrested Thursday morning as he exited his apartment building on Bay Ridge Parkway in Brooklyn.

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According to Council member Susan Zhuang, the detention was due to his irregular immigration status.

People close to him say Ordóñez is a well-known religious leader in the local community.

Bishop Erick Salgado, who knows Sebastián Ordóñez, questioned the way the arrest was carried out.

“They weren’t looking to arrest someone specific, they were fishing for anyone coming out of the building,” he told NY1 Noticias.

Salgado said agents detained several people leaving the building.

The family maintains that Ordóñez has no history of violence or serious criminal record.

They also emphasize that he has been an active part of the Brooklyn community for nearly two decades.

So far, the Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the arrest.

What the Defense Says

A Brooklyn deacon has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Councilmember Susan Zhuang.https://t.co/6wjdUMeJvf

— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) January 16, 2026

Ordóñez’s attorney, Michael Musa Obregón, said he believes his client is not legally in the country.

However, he stressed that this does not eliminate the right to due process.

“Everyone has the right to due process,” Obregón told PIX11 News.

The attorney questioned the methods used during Sebastián Ordóñez’s arrest.

“You can’t just approach people at random,” he said.

He also warned about racial profiling during immigration operations.

According to Obregón, immigration status cannot be assumed based on skin color or mannerisms.

His statements came amid recent ICE operations.

Community organizations have expressed concern about these types of detentions.

The defense insists that basic legal guarantees must be respected.

ICE Arrests Religious Leader: The Broader Context

One day after the detention, Zhuang, Bishop Salgado, and community members gathered publicly.

The goal was to demand an end to federal immigration raids.

They also called for the immediate release of Sebastián Ordóñez.

The protest took place amid recent reports of deaths in ICE custody.

This week, the death of Luis Beltrán Yanez Cruz, a 68-year-old Honduran man, was reported.

Yanez Cruz died while in ICE custody in California after being detained in New Jersey.

His death caused grief among his family and sparked calls for accountability.

According to agency data, at least 30 people died in ICE custody in 2025.

That figure is the highest recorded in two decades.

ICE has reported four deaths in custody so far in 2026.

The incidents occurred between January 3 and January 9.

They involved migrants from Honduras, Cuba, and Cambodia.