(Photo via GoFundMe)
ORLANDO | Two Universal Orlando Epic Universe employees were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Nov. 7 in Arizona while visiting an ill friend, according to News 6.
Husbands Agustin Baccega and Gustavo Romanello are both from Argentina and immigrated to the United States in 2020. The two are currently in the process of seeking asylum.
An ICE spokesperson told the Orlando Sentinel that the couple’s visas expired in 2021 and that their work permits are not sufficient to prevent immigration enforcement action.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, people may seek asylum if they have experienced persecution or fear they will face persecution in their home country. Persecution may be based on factors including race, religion or political opinion.
People seeking asylum may also apply for employment authorization while their cases are pending. Those who receive work authorization can obtain a Social Security number, which may allow them to access services and apply for documents such as a driver’s license, depending on state requirements.
According to ICE’s online detainee locator, the two acrobats were transferred to separate facilities in Arizona. Baccega is being held at the Eloy Federal Contract Facility, while Romanello is detained at the Florence Service Processing Center. The facilities are approximately 35 minutes apart.
On Nov. 10, friends of the couple, including Jonathan Batchelor, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for legal expenses and additional costs associated with their detention.
The fundraiser aims to help cover attorney fees for Baccega and Romanello as they navigate their case, while daily and monthly expenses such as rent are paid in time.
At the moment this article was written, the fundraising had received 94% of the proposed amount, a little over $50 thousand dollars.
“Anyone who knows them knows how hard they work and how much joy they bring to everyone around them,” the fundraising page states.
The organizers have also shared updates about the men’s conditions while in detention. In one update, they said Baccega reported that guards had treated him more kindly after seeing him on television.
However, the organizers said they had not been able to establish contact with Romanello.
“No one has been able to speak with him for nearly 36 hours. When we called the Florence Service Processing Center, we were told the facility’s entire communication system is down,” Batchelor wrote in an update to the fundraising page.
The detention facilities have also drawn attention amid concerns about conditions inside immigration detention centers. According to Orlando Weekly, the Eloy Detention Center has faced scrutiny this year over allegations of abusive detention practices, including verbal and physical abuse by guards, medical neglect and unsafe drinking water.
Orlando Weekly also spoke with Alexa Neilen, a friend of the couple, who said the two men received blankets and pillows after spending three days in detention. Neilen also said Baccega and Romanello have been helping other detainees who do not speak English by translating for them.
“So Agustin and Gustavo are trying their best to translate for the people around them. It’s unjust, it’s unfair and it’s inhumane,” Neilen told Orlando Weekly.
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