Still others say Mr. Hernandez, lauded for his charitable efforts and for taking part in civic groups in West Frankfort, broke the law and should be deported.

Though he is out on bond, Mr. Hernandez faces the threat of deportation. Friends say that Mr. Hernandez entered the country from Mexico without permission in the 1990s, and that he applied for legal status but those efforts stalled somewhere along the way.

Government lawyers, who opposed releasing him on bond on Wednesday, noted that he had two convictions for drunken driving in 2007. The government asked the judge to reserve its right to appeal the bond decision.

“More than anything, I’m nervous about how everything’s going to play out,” Mr. Hernandez said.

He appeared at his hearing in Kansas City by video conference from the St. Louis detention center. He said little and was asked few questions.

He had been in custody since Feb. 9, when immigration agents arrested him near the restaurant. He gave his lawyer, Victor Arana, a thumbs up into the video camera upon hearing the news that he would be able to post a bond.

Mr. Arana told the judge that he intended to pursue Mr. Hernandez’s earlier efforts — apparently many years old — to gain legal status.

Mr. Hernandez’s wife got her citizenship late last year, and their three sons are citizens, the lawyer said.