Bronx Community Board 11 pens letter in support of food pantry founder in ICE custody
Aleksander Nilaj, the founder and president of the Open Hand Association Food Pantry, was detained by ICE last week while he attended a court hearing.
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There is a new push to free the founder of a Bronx food pantry from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Bronx Community Board 11 held a meeting Tuesday night and provided News 12 with the letter they plan to send to support the release of Aleksander Nilaj.
Nilaj, the founder and president of the Open Hand Association Food Pantry, was detained by ICE last week while he attended a court hearing.
Over the weekend, Rep. Richie Torres posted on X that Nilaj was in custody at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in New Jersey.
ICE has said Nilaj overstayed a temporary visa, and a judge ordered him to leave the country in 2008.
In their letter, board members wrote that Nilaj has "established deep and longstanding roots in this country. During that time, he has built a life centered on family, responsibility, work and service to others. His personal, familial and community connections are substantial, and the United States has been his home for more than two decades."
They also mentioned his work with the food pantry and his commitment to helping individuals and families facing insecurities.
