OAKMONT, Pa. — The owner of Oakmont Bakery is questioning why federal immigration agents detained one of his employees.
Bakery owner Marc Serrao says he and employee Jose Flores spent about seven hours Monday with Homeland Security officials reprocessing Flores’s asylum paperwork.
Flores was released over the weekend after being held for several days, but Serrao is questioning why he was detained in the first place.
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“In this instance, I believe that ICE did the wrong thing by arresting him,” Serrao said.
Serrao says Flores was detained by ICE agents outside his home on Jan. 29, despite having legal authorization to work in the United States.
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“In this instance, I believe that ICE did the wrong thing by arresting him,” Serrao said.
Serrao says Flores tried to explain to agents that he had proper documentation, but claims they did not respond.
Flores’ 8-year-old daughter witnessed the arrest, Serrao said.
After his detention, agents transported Flores to Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville, West Virginia, before bringing him to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Phillipsburg, PA, more than two hours from Oakmont.
Serrao says Flores told him conditions at the facility were adequate and that he received meals, medical care and was kept warm.
Officials have previously said Flores has no criminal history and was in the country under a valid work authorization.
His attorney, Pete Rogers, has said Flores could not be legally detained unless there was a criminal charge.
So far, ICE has not explained why Flores was detained or why he was released.
“If there was a reason, we all would have been told it,” Serrao said. “I don’t know if it had something to do with paperwork.”
Serrao says he received the call he had been waiting for on Saturday, February 7 and was allowed to pick Flores up from the processing center.
He says the moment was emotional.
“We were coming across the bridge and he just looked at me crying and said he never thought he’d see Oakmont Bakery again,” Serrao said.
Serrao is also pushing back against claims circulating online that he played a role in Flores’ detention.
“That comment is totally outrageous and insulting,” Serrao said. “If I didn’t like him, I would fire him. I would never turn him into ICE.”
Serrao says Flores returned to work Sunday.
A GoFundMe created to support Flores’ family has raised nearly $100,000.
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