{"id":12215,"date":"2025-10-19T03:14:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T03:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/12215\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T03:14:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T03:14:08","slug":"culver-city-palatero-granted-green-card-after-ice-detention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/12215\/","title":{"rendered":"Culver City palatero granted green card after ICE detention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nearly four months after being detained by ICE while working his regular route, a Culver City palatero has returned safely home to his family \u2014 and has a green card on the way.<\/p>\n

In June, Ambrocio \u201cEnrique\u201d Lozano was taken into custody by masked federal agents while selling paletas, or frozen fruit treats, outside of a church. A striking photo of his abandoned ice cream cart went viral on social media<\/a>, catalyzing a community effort to bring him home. <\/p>\n

Lozano, who lives in South L.A. and has manned a palatero cart in the Culver City area for more than 20 years, was one of thousands of undocumented immigrants<\/a> detained this summer in L.A. as part of an ongoing mass deportation effort by the Trump administration. The ICE raids have rattled Southern California and fueled widespread protest against<\/a> the federal government\u2019s immigration policies.<\/p>\n

After 114 days in detention, Lozano on Wednesday was granted a green card through a 245(i) petition, which relies on a little-known provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)<\/a> that allows certain individuals who are otherwise ineligible to apply for lawful permanent residence from within the U.S.<\/p>\n

Two days later, Lozano reunited with his family at his sister\u2019s home in South Gate, his niece Kimberly Noriega told The Times on Saturday. <\/p>\n

Walking in the door, Lozano was greeted by \u201cWelcome home!\u201d balloons and a tres leches cake for the birthday he\u2019d spent in detention. Noriega had cooked him a feast of carne asada, costillas and \u201ca whole big old pack of tortillas\u201d \u2014 the first thing he mentioned to her on FaceTime after he was released.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though it\u2019s hard, we never lost faith, and we always trusted God,\u201d Noriega said. \u201cI feel like this is a small victory in something that\u2019s way bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lozano was selling his paletas in front of Iglesia Bautista Libre Resurrecci\u00f3n in Culver City on the afternoon of June 23 when he was taken by ICE agents and driven off in an unmarked vehicle to an undisclosed location.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told them, \u2018Why are you guys picking on me? I\u2019m just doing my job,\u2019\u201d Noriega said. Lozano had no criminal record, and his customers loved him. But the agents didn\u2019t relent.<\/p>\n

Lozano was permitted to quickly call his wife and explain the situation, but after 40 seconds or so on the phone, his call dropped, Noriega said. His family couldn\u2019t obtain more information about his whereabouts for days.<\/p>\n

Noriega later learned that her uncle had tried to text her aunt when he got to the detention center, but there was no reception. Then ICE agents took his phone.<\/p>\n

With the help of the Community Self-Defense Coalition and donations<\/a> from the community, Noriega and her family were able to find legal representation for Lozano. Later, more than 150 people, many of whom had purchased paletas from Lozano over the years, wrote letters of support to help him in court.<\/p>\n

Noriega said that Lozano\u2019s attorney, Ebony Espinoza, was always convinced Lozano would get his green card. But Noriega could never be sure, and that uncertainty haunted her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so much stress,\u201d Noriega said. \u201cMy aunt was crying and my mom was just losing her cahoots trying to do everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matters grew worse when Lozano\u2019s wife Anita struggled to answer questions during a court hearing and feared she\u2019d ruined her husband\u2019s chances at release.<\/p>\n

Luckily for Lozano\u2019s family, the judge was patient with them, even allowing them a two-hour break to retrieve photos proving his marriage to Anita. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy aunt literally took the pictures off of her wall because we couldn\u2019t find her wedding album,\u201d Noriega said. \u201cShe took the biggest pictures, you know, like those 20 by 20 huge ones, and we just carried those.\u201d<\/p>\n

Court resumed for a couple minutes, long enough for the opposing council to withdraw its appeal, and then the judge told Lozano, \u201cWelcome to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lozano clasped his hands in front of his face, as though praying, in gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod gave him the strength to keep going every single day,\u201d Noriega said. <\/p>\n

Following his release, Lozano was shocked to find out how much traction his story has gotten, Noriega said. She told her uncle he now has a powerful message to share with other detainees. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell them to stay strong,\u201d she told him. \u201cIf it happened for you, it can happen for others.\u201d<\/p>\n