Disabled man accused of stealing food from Walmart held indefinitely by ICE
By Beatz Alvarado
Under a new law, a disabled welder is being held indefinitely in immigration detention after being accused of stealing “a bag of rice, chocolates, water, a Monster and a Jumex juice,” according to a Nueces County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Jesus Daniel Duran Suarez, a 23-year-old asylum seeker from Venezuela who obtained a work permit and has been helping build Cheniere’s liquefaction trains in Portland under contractor Bechtel, was hurt while working at his job back in February.
Duran Suarez fell backward climbing up a ladder while carrying materials and suffers from multiple herniated discs that require surgery, he told Chisme Collective during a virtual interview from immigration detention in Port Isabel. His employer, Bechtel, refused to cover his medical expenses, he said.
He was detained at Walmart on May 1 and kept in custody at Nueces County Jail for theft of less than $100 and failure to identify, according to the arrest report.
The Walmart employee who reported the theft to the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office chose to press charges against Duran Suarez and his girlfriend, who was with him during the incident. Duran Suarez’s girlfriend has been deported.
His attorney, Eugene Delgado, said because of his condition, Duran Suarez should be eligible for bond but the petty theft charge made him ineligible under the new Laken Riley Act.
“Normally we can apply for a bond, the judge was pretty receptive to our request because Jesus is in crutches, and it’s obvious he’s not adequately being taken care of in detention but (ICE) claimed he’s not eligible for bond under the new law,” Delgado said. “The situation as it stands right now is that ICE is not giving us a deadline or timeline for release.”
The Laken Riley Act, signed into law in January, mandates the detention of certain non-citizens arrested or charged with specific crimes. Duran Suarez has been accused of petty theft.
Duran Suarez has repeatedly requested a wheelchair in ICE detention but to no avail, he said.
His attorney has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support his case.