Jose Criollo speaks to parishioners at All Saints Parish in Syracuse on Sunday, Feb. 1.
Immigration proceedings continue
By Tami S. Scott
Editor
Soft-spoken and unassuming, Jose Criollo stood near the back of the nave at All Saints Church in Syracuse just before the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Feb. 1. Fellow parishioners on their way into church would see him, and their faces would light up. Over and over that morning, people offered heartfelt greetings welcoming one of their own back home.
It had been just over two weeks since Criollo and his future son-in-law, Adrian Ramirez, were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE. Stopped while driving their vehicle on Salt Springs Road in Syracuse, they were initially transported to the Central New York headquarters located in Mattydale before being transferred a couple of hours later to the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.
Criollo, a native of Ecuador, came to the States over 25 years ago. Ramirez is from the Dominican Republic. Both are undocumented immigrants.
On Friday, Jan. 29, Judge Brian Counihan heard Criollo’s case and released him on a $20,000 bond — an unanticipated but desirable development in a process that’s just begun. “This is a wonderful surprise,” said All Saints pastor Father Fred Daley to The Catholic Sun. Father learned the good news as he watched the bond hearing unfold live online.
The outcome can be partly attributed to the vast support and outreach for Criollo. Parishioners, neighbors, and the wider community rallied behind him by submitting 80 character references that Criollo’s attorney presented to the judge.
“There’s no doubt that the swelling support of the church and the community was a big factor,” Father Daley said. Other important factors: He’s a well-established person in the community. He’s a property and business owner with no criminal history. He’s also a taxpayer.
Meg Ksander, pastoral associate for Ministry & Liturgy at All Saints, said the judge had two main concerns when determining how to move forward: Was Criollo a danger to the community, and was he a flight risk? His long-standing contributions to the community and having an established family life here mitigated his concern that Criollo was a flight risk. Additionally, she said the judge saw no reason to conclude that he was a danger to the community. “But rather, he is an asset,” Ksander said.
Criollo returned to his family on Saturday, Jan. 31.
The news elated the many people who know him personally, but it’s just the first step of many. “His ultimate status is still to be determined,” Father Daley said. “This is just allowing him to get out of the detention center while his case goes forward, so he could still be deported.”
In the past, Criollo has tried to become a U.S. citizen. Currently, however, there is no path to citizenship for those who entered the country without being inspected by immigration officials.
“He has done so much good,” Ksander said, noting again that he owns his own business, has employees, and pays annual taxes. “There should be a pathway. He has shown that he is the kind of citizen we want in the United States.”
She said she is hopeful that this current situation might be a sign of positive change, where lawmakers consider introducing new legislation that would benefit law-abiding individuals.
Criollo’s master hearing is scheduled for later this month.
A man of deep faith
“When COVID hit, one of the first responses was [from] Jose,” Ksander. Criollo and his family volunteered to build a raised wooden platform so the church could hold “parking lot” Masses during the peak of the pandemic.
Michael Songer, pastoral associate for faith formation, described Criollo as an integral part of All Saints, not just in the liturgical sense (he’s a lector and repeats scripture and homilies in his native Spanish for parishioners who may not comprehend them as well in English), but also in assisting with church maintenance and being involved in social and cultural events. “It’s been very enriching,” Songer said.
“They’re a family of deep faith,” Father added.
Parishioner Betty Drotar spoke to The Catholic Sun over the phone from St. Augustine, Fla. where she, too, watched the live hearing online. “I’m very relieved that he’s going to be out of detention. He doesn’t belong there,” she said, moments after the decision. “It was so sad to see him in the courtroom. I think the next thing we have to [do] is just keep praying about him staying in the country.
“I’m concerned about him not being able to work; that’s a big concern, but we’ll work it out,” she added.
Criollo addresses the congregation
On the Sunday morning after Criollo was released from the Batavia detention center, he looked out at his fellow church family and shared, in his own words, his experience and gratitude, which was followed by a standing ovation.
“First, I want to thank God for giving me health and freedom to be allowed to be here with my family. Also I am thankful to Father Fred for all the support, the support of the community, for giving me their heart and their soul and this great support. I feel very happy, very thankful to God for all this support, and I wish all of you help and strength. Thank you.
I want to tell you about my experience. My experience is that they stopped me for no reason at all. They took me to the detention center in Mattydale, and then they took me to jail in Batavia. When I arrived there, they said, you have to change your clothes.
And next, they took me to a holding cell that’s supposed to be for 13 people at the most, but there were 26 of us, very difficult to move around. We were there for two days, two nights. There was a bathroom, but it was visible to everyone, so we had to cover one another to have a little privacy. They moved us to another holding cell that was basically the same, and we spent another day and night there. Finally, they moved us to a room in a gymnasium, and we were there for five days. We slept on the floor the whole time. They gave us two blankets. They were very thin. One was to sleep on. One was to cover us. They also gave us a pillow. We spent the rest of the days there, until they moved us to another site. It was a little bigger. It was for 78 people. It was a lot better there. There was television, there were phones. We could talk to our family. There’s a microwave, we could warm up food. There was also a bathroom. It was a little more private, but also there were cameras everywhere, so limited privacy.
There were a lot of people suffering there, crying, desperate to leave. There were people that hadn’t done anything wrong. There were people that were 70 and 80 years old, which I don’t understand. I only ask God that justice be done, and I thank all of you for sharing this day with me. May God bless you. Amen.
To watch the entire Mass, go to allsaintssyracuse.org and click on Worship, then Mass (Video & In-Person).
How to help financially
All Saints Parish recently began an Immigrant Support Fund to help not only Criollo and Ramirez, but also others who may need financial support going forward. Checks can be made payable to All Saints Church. In the memo, write Immigration Support Fund and mail to 1342 Lancaster Ave, Syracuse 13210. You can also contribute online at allsaintssyracuse.org by clicking Donate on the top right of the homepage. You will be directed to another page where there’s a list of categories to choose from. The Immigrant Support Fund is listed toward the bottom.
How to help through prayer: Novena for Release from Detention
If you are unable to contribute financially but still would like to support the cause, the church encourages you to say a special Novena for Jose Criollo and Adrian Ramirez, which can be found and downloaded on the homepage at allsaintssyracuse.org. At press time, Ramirez’s initial bond hearing was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6.
Also read Statement from Bishop Douglas J. Lucia on the immigration crisis
