BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Community members gathered at Allentown’s Casa Azul on Sunday in support of chef Keiber Alexander Esposito-Martinez, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month.
“Buffalo is built on immigrants and their hard work, and everything they bring to this community. But Alex in particular, he was hired three and a half years ago. I think he did two days as a dishwasher and then immediately made his way up,” Casa Azul Owner Zina Lapi said.
Sunday’s fundraiser, a Latin brunch party organized by Lapi, raised money for Esposito-Martinez’s legal fees and to provide support to his family.
“I think it just shows the love people in Buffalo have for the working class, for the immigrants of Buffalo,” local restaurateur Mark Supples said.
Esposito-Martinez’s wife was among those in attendance; she said that while her husband was driving a friend to work, ICE detained him, eventually taking him to a detention center in Batavia.
“I received a text, and he tells me, ‘Oh, ICE just stopped me,’ and I was like, what? So I kept calling and calling and calling and calling and no answer,” Milasus Colon Esposito said. “I visit him in Batavia. I’ve been there like literally every day. If I miss three days since he’s been detained, it’s a lot.”
ICE released a statement after Esposito-Martinez’s detainment, saying he came to the U.S. illegally near El Paso, Texas. However, his family and friends say he was an asylum seeker from Venezuela who followed immigration procedures.
“He has all his paperwork; he has his work authorization until 2030, so he’s legal to be here. Why they stopped him, there’s no reason,” Colon Esposito said.
Despite the difficult circumstances his family faces, his employer said she’s determined to help him in any way she can.
“One of us needs help, and he’s one of us, for sure,” Lapi said. “For reasons I still don’t understand, he needs our help and attention, so yeah, it made total sense to pitch in and do what we can, and Buffalo really showed out, the community showed up, and it’s been great.”
Esposito-Martinez’s family is currently working with legal counsel to get him a court date, hoping to get him released on bond. WIVB News 4 reached out to ICE for additional comment and has not yet heard back.
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Alexa Beck is a multimedia journalist and reporter who has been with the WIVB team since 2026. See more of her work here.
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