2 Taste of Thai workers taken into custody by ICE, employees say

This story was written by reporters Kelsey O'Connor and Jolene Almendarez. It is a developing story.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Two employees at the popular Ithaca Commons restaurant Taste Of Thai were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to Carlos Gutierrez, a Tompkins County Workers' Center employee who handles immigration issues, two people were taken into custody around noon Tuesday while they were working at the restaurant.

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Khaalid Walls, regional director of communications for ICE, said in an emailed statement, "I can confirm that two (people) were arrested as part of ongoing enforcement activities in the region by the agency. Because efforts are under way, I won’t be able to elaborate further at this time."

Gutierrez said he spoke with a manager at the restaurant who told him that an employee named Sonkiat Wandee was detained for unknown reasons. Another employee named Tatithan Maiyodklang, who is from Thailand, allegedly missed an appointment with immigration officials and was also taken into custody Tuesday.

The two men were loaded into an extended white van by ICE officials and taken away, Gutierrez said.

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A waitress at the restaurant declined to comment and a man she identified as the owner's son also declined to comment.

Jamie Williamson, public information officer for the Ithaca Police Department, said police officials were not aware of the arrest. He added ICE does not typically notify the IPD when apprehending individuals in Ithaca.

Alderperson Cynthia Brock, who represents the First Ward, paved the way for Ithaca to be a Sanctuary City last year, a resolution that was unanimously approved by Common Council.

"It's heartbreaking, absolutely appalling to think that this is happening in our community," she said about Tuesday's arrest, clearly shaken by the incident. "I feel powerless in our ability to not do more to shelter the people who come to live and work and visit our city. This is just awful."

She said that while Ithaca is a sanctuary city, providing people with some protection from being arrested due to immigration status locally, it's within jurisdiction of the federal government.

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Brock said that she knows that people in the immigrant and activist community let each other know by word of mouth about this kind of activity.

"We would hope that for people who live here that, hopefully, they have systems in place in case something like this happens... so at least their family members and children can be taken care of," she said.

Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said the Ithaca Police Department was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday to say they would be in Ithaca, but did not specify what they were doing, when, or that it was immigration related.

Myrick said the two people taken into custody Tuesday were working to "make their lives better."

Gutierrez added that there are steps people can take to help people taken into ICE custody.

For instance, in case of an emergency or recent arrest, people can call the Tompkins County Immigration Rights Coalition Rapid Response Network at 607-358-5119. It's recommended that people try to provide as much information as possible, such as the exact location of the detainment, name of the person taken into custody, arresting officer's name or badge number, and licence plate number of any vehicles at the scene (not all the listed information is required to get assistance from the network).

Gutierrez also said that people can contact the Tompkins County Workers' Center at 607-269-0409 for help.

Gutierrez is in touch with several immigration lawyers in Buffalo, which is not far from the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia where local immigrants are often held in custody. After gathering basic information about the incident, Gutierrez said he hands the information off to the lawyers.

He said the workers' center also provides training and resources to employers about what their rights are as business owners if ICE shows up to arrest somebody.