A chef at the Allentown restaurant Casa Azul who came to the U.S. seeking asylum has been detained by ICE. Keiber Alexander Esposito Martinez entered the country from Venezuela through a port of entry in 2023 and was later authorized to work in the U.S.
He eventually found work at Casa Azul in Allentown, where owner and head chef Zina Lapi says he went from washing dishes to becoming her sous chef.
“He just progressed and moved up and moved up and moved up, and now he's the guy in charge when I'm not here," she said.
Still in the custody by ICE, Martinez is being held at the federal detention facility in Batavia. Lapi said she was notified by another employee of what had happened.
"I just reached out to a couple friends of mine who know sheriffs and whatnot and try to figure out where he was and then about 24 hours later, we saw through like the ICE detention [online portal] that he was in Batavia," she said.
Martinez had been legally authorized to work and had been keeping up with his immigration proceedings. Over a year ago, he also got married to a US citizen.
“He had a New York State driver's license. He had all the proper identification and the right working papers," she said.
Lapi says Martinez’s detention has also shaken other workers at the restaurant, with some now questioning whether they are safe despite also going through the legal immigration process.
“Unfortunately, we did have a couple people quit just because they feel unsafe in Buffalo," Lapi said. "They're here legally, also seeking asylum and working on their citizenship, but they don't feel comfortable with how ICE is working in Buffalo.”
Lapi says ICE never contacted Casa Azul before or after Martinez was detained. From everything she witnessed during his three years working there, she says she’s left wondering what he could have done differently.
“From my vantage point and what I saw for the last three years, this kid's been nothing but like model citizen," she said.
BTPM News reached out to federal and Buffalo Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices. Neither ICE nor Martinez’s attorney, Ryan Whitmer, has responded to our requests for more information about why Martinez was detained. Lapi says if Martinez is released, his job at Casa Azul will be waiting for him.
Casa Azul is hosting a fundraiser and Latin brunch Sunday, Sept. 6 from 2 to 5 pm to help Martinez and his family with lawyer fees.
