BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Three of the 25 workers detained during immigration raids at four local Mexican restaurants had their first hearing Tuesday morning at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in Buffalo. They weren't alone, as clergy, activists and other community members rallied around them.
"We want security for us we want justice for us, so we need security and justice for all of us," said Pastor Drew Ludwig, Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.
One week ago, the raids at Don Tequila on Allen Street, Agave on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, El Agave in Cheektowaga and La Divina in Kenmore resulted in 25 arrests and neighborhoods rattled.
The owner of the restaurants, as well as two managers, were charged with "conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens." They stand accused of working the employees for long hours, providing housing for them, and paying them in cash.
One side effect of the raids has been an outpouring of support from longtime Don Tequila patrons and long lines when La Divina opened on Friday.
One of the workers, Sergio, addressed Tuesday's crowd in Spanish and through a translator, expressed his gratitude. He said he was "especially glad to see Americans, U.S. citizens, people who have lived here all their lives, come out and support."
From there, the group accompanied the trio as they marched down Delaware Avenue to the front of the immigration office. Before going in for the hearing, Antonio Robles, who worked as a cook at La Divina in Kenmore, described through a translator the chaos of a day he said started like any other.
"All of a sudden, agents broke in, police officers broke in, they told everyone to get on the floor. They came with guns and with dogs, they raided the place, they cuffed them for over two hours," said Robles.
The hearings are the first step in the deportation process and going in, there is a lot of uncertainty for each of the 25 workers.
"Right now, that's really the concern," said translator and activist, Carlos Rojas. "We don't know if they're going to go in and come out, if they're going to say, 'you need to be detained, we're going to supervise you through the ankle bracelet, we're going to give you daily calls.' ICE has many ways in which they keep in check."
Representatives of the three workers said that they have ankle bracelets monitored by ICE so they cannot leave Erie County.
The next step in the process are court appearances that have yet to be scheduled.
The group of activists say they will hold a similar event Thursday when the next group of workers have their hearings.