Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that agents from its Buffalo office arrested a man and his child, both from Venezuela, in Albany Friday morning, pursuant to a warrant of removal.
An agency spokesperson said Alexander Jose Regnault-Avila and his child entered the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2023, and an immigration judge ordered their removal on June 28, 2024.
Advocates said five ICE agents took Regnault-Avila and his 4-year-old daughter into custody at about 9:15 a.m. Friday on Western Avenue near Washington Park.
A family and a staff member in the Albany City School District said the girl was a student in the district, but spokespeople with the district did not immediately return requests for comment.
Capital Region Sanctuary Coalition Advocates were assembled outside ICE’s field offices in Malta Friday afternoon. That’s where they said the father and daughter were taken after the arrest.
ICE said the pair is being processed for removal to Venezuela together.
The agency, in a statement, encouraged parents "who are in the United States illegally to take control of their departure by using the CBP One app."
"The United States is currently offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport," the agency's statement said. "We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."
