We haven’t been able to reach either Jonathan Chavez’ lawyer or the court, but according to the Facebook page Praying for Jonathan Chavez, the judge in yesterday’s hearing did not grant a bond for the U of A honors college student.
Chavez, a senior music major who graduated from high school in Rogers but was born in Peru, has been detained since before Christmas in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Fort Lauderdale. He was picked up by ICE as he arrived in Florida on a visit to his mother. Read more about his case here.
Yesterday, Chavez was transferred to a Wackenhut Corrections facility in Pompano Beach, Fla., to await a decision by ICE on whether to defer his deportation. A writer on the Facebook page says the judge has given ICE three weeks to make its decision, but until we talk to his lawyer, we can’t say for sure what Chavez’ situation is.
Chavez’ parents and sister reside legally in the United States, but did not apply for residential status for Chavez until recently because of bad legal advice, Chavez’ attorney, Sandra Lambert, says.