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ICE officers detain N.Y. firefighter as he leaves for work

Milton Guamarriga’s family says he has lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, volunteers as a firefighter and was applying for citizenship

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. — A family in Westchester County is fighting for the return of a husband, father and volunteer firefighter who was detained by ICE officers.

Rosa Zhagui says her husband, Milton Guamarriga, was taken into custody by ICE officers as he was leaving their Port Chester home for work last week, WABC reported. Guamarriga works as a marble stone installer and is a volunteer firefighter in Portchester.

| MORE: In the age of ICE, fire departments must maintain their apolitical identity

Because he’s undocumented, the family says he volunteers as a way to give back. He was also working toward a degree in IT.

Guamarriga’s daughter Joselyn acknowledges her father crossed the border illegally at age 15, but says he has stayed out of trouble for nearly 30 years and is not a violent offender. The family says he was in the process of applying for citizenship and hopes he will be allowed to finish that process and be released.

The family says Guamarriga is currently being held at Calhoun County Correctional Center in Michigan.

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Bill Carey is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com. A former Maryland volunteer firefighter, sergeant, and lieutenant, Bill has written for several fire service publications and platforms. His work on firefighter behavioral health garnered a 2014 Neal Award nomination. His ongoing research and writings about line-of-duty death data is frequently cited in articles, presentations, and trainings. Have a news tip? He can be reached at news@lexipol.com.