An Oregon business owner who was detained by immigration officers last month will be deported to Mexico, according to a family member’s social media post on Thursday.
Moises Sotelo Casas, 54, owns a vineyard management company that operates throughout the northern Willamette Valley. He was arrested in Newberg by US Customs and Immigration Enforcement officers in June and is being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.
A public outcry demanding his release made national headlines. Following weeks of uncertainty, he will be removed from the United States.
“With a heavy heart, we want to update everyone that Moises is being deported to Mexico this week,” reads a statement on a GoFundMe account set up by his family. “The Sotelo family is still working on ways to attempt to bring him home, but at the moment, his case is closed.”
In June, an ICE spokesperson told OPB that Sotelo Casas was arrested as part of routine federal law enforcement operations. The federal agency claimed Sotelo entered the United States illegally in 2006 and told OPB he had a criminal conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol in 1997.
However, a search of Sotelo Casas’ criminal records yields only minor traffic violations, two speeding tickets. OPB also checked with the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office and the Newberg Municipal Court, but neither could find any records of a DUII charge against Sotelo Casas.
Newberg’s court only keeps court records for DUII charges for ten years. It would not contain records of charges or convictions from the 1990s. ICE has not provided evidence of any charges filed against Sotelo Casas.
People who know Sotelo Casas and his family describe him as a devoted father, grandfather, and community leader.
“Knowing that the community was behind the Sotelo Family during this time means more than we could put into words,” the message on the GoFundMe page read. “Moises continues to be deeply touched by the immense support and awareness that his situation has garnered from his neighbors, industry connections, and people across the country.”
In June, ICE officers arrested at least one of Sotelo Casas’ employees.
Teofilo De Los Santos Romero, born in Mexico, was arrested in Newberg a few days before Sotelo Casas.
De Los Santos Romero was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants in Yamhill County in January of this year, despite being enrolled in a diversion program, according to court documents.
ICE declined to say whether De Los Santos Romery had been removed from the United States.
