ICE detains West Liberty parishioner/construction worker

By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger

MUSCATINE – Construction worker Pascual Leonardo Pedro Pedro, a 20-year-old parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in West Liberty, faces an uncertain future after his annual check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities earlier this week.

They detained him and sent him to the Muscatine County Jail because he had an order of expedited removal from seven years ago, when as a 13-year-old he arrived in this country undocumented with his father. Pedro Pedro remains in the county jail, uplifted by the prayers of family members, friends, his pastor and even strangers rallying on his behalf.

“I was able to see Pascual Pedro an hour ago!” Father Guillermo Treviño, pastor of the West Liberty parish, posted on his Facebook page July 2. “He went to confession, we said some prayers,” the priest said. “He said hi to everyone and thanks for the support!”

On July 6, at 7 p.m., Bishop Dennis Walsh will lead a prayer service at St. Joseph Catholic Church in West Liberty in response to Pedro Pedro’s detention. Bishop Walsh and his fellow U.S. bishops advocate for just and humane immigration laws. In a Nov. 19 letter addressed to “our dear migrant brothers and sisters in Christ,” the bishops said, “As your bishops, we will advocate for your just treatment and dignity within the framework of the law.”

Pedro Pedro’s journey to jail took place after his June 30 check-in with ICE in Cedar Rapids, according to the Iowa City Catholic Worker and Escucha Mi Voz. The two advocacy groups and the West Liberty parish organized a prayer vigil July 2 outside the county jail on his behalf. More than 75 people participated in the vigil, including Father Treviño, and former soccer teammates of Pedro Pedro, who graduated from West Liberty High School.

“I knew him personally,” Father Treviño told The Catholic Messenger. “I was his confirmation sponsor. I’ve seen him grow up and mature.” He described Pedro Pedro as “a kind, humble young man who came to this country seeking safety and a better life.”

Father Treviño and other people spoke at the prayer vigil, including the young man’s grandfather. “Priests, deacons, family, community members and young people stood together to demand his immediate release,” Iowa City Catholic Worker and Escucha Mi Voz said in news releases. “His detention is not just a legal issue — it’s a moral crisis,” Father Treviño added.

Pedro Pedro, a native of Guatemala, has no criminal record. He lives with his grandfather in West Liberty and works in construction with him, siding houses, which is skilled labor, a representative of the two advocacy groups said. He is “an essential worker. He is part of our community. He belongs here.” The vigil was part of a growing call for Pascual’s immediate release and a broader end to unjust deportations, the advocacy groups said.

Jahsiah Galvan, a former soccer teammate and good friend of Pedro Pedro, learned from his mother, Anaisa, about his friend’s detention. Galvan is a senior at Stanford University in California. “Through soccer, we spent a lot of time together as a team. A lot of the guys on the team liked him,” Galvan said. “He was a pretty easygoing person, super likable, someone you wanted to be around.”

Galvan was unaware that Pedro Pedro was in this country undocumented. “It wouldn’t have mattered to me either way,” Galvan said in a July 2 interview with The Catholic Messenger. “I actually heard from him two days (earlier).” Galvan’s cousin plays for the Guatemala National Football Team and Pedro Pedro texted his friend a photo after the game in Minneapolis last Sunday. “I tried texting him (back) … but I think someone else had his account. I don’t think it was him who answered.”

His friend’s detention shocks Galvan. “I think it’s super sad. It’s pretty tragic. It’s someone who is a good person, a hardworking member of the community…”

The Catholic Messenger emailed Immigrations and Custom Enforcement for this story but did not receive a response.