UPDATE: Man taken into custody by ICE an employee of Island business for 20 years

Further information has come in on this story, which is now updated below.

The three men arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Greenport last week were longtime North Fork residents who worked at East End businesses for years — but federal officials say all three entered the United States illegally.

Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio was employed by Marcello Masonry on Shelter Island for about 20 years, while Alexandro Rivera Magaña and Martir Zambrano Diaz worked at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic, according to their employers and co-workers. They remain in ICE custody at an undisclosed facility.

ICE officials said the sweep was intended to apprehend a convicted felon, though the agency did not specify which of the three detained men was the subject of that criminal investigation.

“On Feb. 4, ICE New York City conducted operations targeting a known criminal illegal alien convicted of aggravated DWI with a child/passenger less than 16 — a felony in Greenport,” an ICE spokesperson told Patch on Monday. The agency did not provide details about when or where the alleged infraction occurred.

ICE told the outlet that Mr. Zambrano Diaz was from Honduras and previously removed from the U.S. in 1998 after reentering illegally, committing a felony. The agency said he “provided a false name to ICE officers in an attempt to obscure the fact that he committed a felony and is subject to federal prosecution for the illegal reentry.”

However, a federal habeas corpus petition filed Sunday on behalf of Mr. Zambrano Diaz in U.S. District Court in New Jersey directly contradicts ICE’s account. The court filing states that Mr. Zambrano Diaz is a 50-year-old native of El Salvador — not Honduras as ICE claimed — who arrived in the United States in 2001 and “has never been arrested or convicted of any crime.”

The petition, filed by immigration attorneys Peter Kapitonov and S. Michael Musa-Obregon, also states Mr. Zambrano Diaz has lived on the East End for over 23 years, contradicting ICE’s claim that he was removed from the U.S. in 1998 and illegally reentered.

The conflicting accounts could not be reconciled by press time. ICE representatives did not return multiple requests for comment from Times Review.

The agency said Mr. Ardon Osorio, from Guatemala, and Mr. Rivera Magaña, from El Salvador, “both admitted they illegally crossed the border with Mexico in violation of U.S. immigration law” but did not allege any criminal history for either man.

Times Review could not independently verify ICE’s claims through court records.

Below is the Reporter’s original story.

One of three men taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Wednesday is an employee of Marcello Masonry on North Ferry Road.

Hugo Leonel Ardon Osorio has worked for the company “for about 20 years,” said owner Bobby Marcello. Mr. Marcello said Mr. Ardon Osorio works as a driver and construction worker.

A Greenport resident, he was on his way to work Wednesday on the Island, his employer said, catching an early boat when he was detained at the North Ferry terminal at about 6:30 a.m.

Mr. Marcello described Mr.  Ardon Osorio as a person of outstanding character who has been an exemplary employee. “He’s a stand-up guy in every respect,” he said.  “Works hard all the time. When he can’t get a sitter for his kids, they stay with my kids. He’s around my house a lot.” He added that Mr.  Ardon Osorio and his spouse had just had a baby girl.

Asked why he thought his employee was detained, Mr. Marcello said, “I have no idea,” but repeated that Mr. Ardon Osorio, whom he has known for two decades, was a fine person.

ICE agents also arrested Alexandro Rivera Magaña and Martir Zambrano Diaz during Wednesday’s sweep, according to Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island.

Both men lived in Greenport and worked at the Peconic winery, Pindar, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Suffolk Times. Ms. Perez said in a call on Friday morning all three detained men were located on Thursday. She said as of now, they remain in New York State, but she did not disclose their specific location. With the help of an attorney, OLA Eastern Long Island is now in process of legally assessing each man’s individual case. She said fighting these cases are still “extremely difficult” for families.

A witness told Times Review that ICE officers pulled up behind a car in line for the North Ferry to the Island and cuffed the driver.

Southold Town Police Chief Steven Grattan said Thursday evening that’s agency wasn’t notified ICE agents would be conducting operations in the area prior to their arrival Wednesday. 

With the help of an attorney, OLA Eastern Long Island is now in process of legally assessing each man’s individual case. Ms. Perez said even though the three men do not have criminal backgrounds, fighting these cases are still “extremely difficult” for families. 

She said depending on the case, it could cost up to $20,000 to try to get someone out of a detention facility. 

“[These men are] the breadwinners,” Ms. Perez said. “We’ve got family members now in our community in Greenport that don’t have their breadwinners, and beyond the money, [their dad’s gone.” 

Ms. Perez said the organization plans to handle the cost of legal fees “up to a certain degree.” There are two, full-time immigration lawyers on OLA’s team currently with a full caseload. However, Ms. Perez said they “always have room for priority situations.” 

OLA has money set aside in a fund through a private family — separate from their State and County funding, or community donations — dedicated to hiring immigration lawyers to aid in the next steps in detention situations. Ms. Perez said the group is open to collaborating with attorneys from the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association and possibly bringing on pro bono attorneys for support on these three cases. 

“Detention is a whole other ball game — you have to work so quickly and, often times, be able to sort of drop everything, have other paralegals gather information, set up appointments, talk to facilities [to see] where [the detainees] are, make sure that they’re there,” Ms. Perez said. “We are hoping that these cases are going to be viable.”

The arrests have sparked another ICE OUT protest, slated for Sunday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Mitchell Park in Greenport.

Additional reporting by Edward Glasarev, Ana Borutto, Bendan Carpenter and Nicole Wagner. This is a developing story; the Reporter will post more information when available on this site.