Community members are raising funds and support for a Dallas activist detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the weekend.
Omar Salazar was visiting his longtime girlfriend in Lubbock when he was stopped by a police officer for a traffic violation, his attorney Jacob Monty told KERA News. After Salazar provided the officer with his ID, an immigration official arrived and arrested Salazar on site.
As of Tuesday afternoon, he was being detained at the Blue Bonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas, located approximately 200 miles west of Dallas.
"Imagine this, Omar ate breakfast in Lubbock, never expecting that he'd be facing the fight of his life Friday afternoon," Monty said. “Friday morning, he was just a normal resident of Texas enjoying the beginning of the long holiday weekend, and now he's fighting to stay in the country that he loves.”
Salazar came to the U.S. from Mexico with his family in 2008, but never gained legal status. Described as a leader by colleagues and friends, Salazar was valedictorian of his graduating class at Trini Garza Early College and is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where he was a Hunt Scholar. He works in the AI industry.
Salazar has no criminal history and is not a flight risk, Monty said.
“This is a case that shows that in the administration's effort to go after the bad guys that no one's shedding a tear for,” he said. “The sweep is so broad that it's included people like Omar Salazar, who's an SMU grad who recently completed a certificate at UT on AI,” Monty said.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to increase deportations, prioritizing people with violent criminal histories, but many of those who have been detained under his push have not been convicted of high-level crimes, an Associated Press analysis found.
Salazar’s first hearing is scheduled for October. Under a new immigration policy issued by the Department of Homeland Security in July, Salazar would potentially not be eligible for bond and would have to fight his deportation while in custody.
“That's kind of what led to this new wave of mandatory detention for a lot of people who previously would have been released on bond because they're not a danger to the community, because they are not a flight risk, because they haven't committed a crime," said Veronica Franco, one of the attorneys representing Salazar.
KERA reached out to ICE and has not received a response.
Monty said Salazar remains optimistic and is "hopeful that common sense prevails.”
Friends have organized a Free Omar Salazar Go Fund Me account to help cover legal costs. So far, they have raised more than $40,000.
“The bonds he has created with leaders and neighbors alike are a testament to his character, and we are hopeful that those same leaders will raise their voices for him now, more than ever, and that you will join us,” wrote Luis Rodriguez, co-organizer of the Go Fund Me account.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
