Brooklyn immigrant detained by ICE says he’ll ‘testify again’ and continue to fight crime

A Brooklyn man who was just released from immigration custody said he wouldn’t hesitate to testify again for prosecutors to keep the community safe.

“Yes, I would always do it because these are things that are not good for humanity,” William Siguencia Hurtado said Tuesday at a press conference at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, which fought for his release.

“I never agreed with bad things so I would testify again and help to keep the community safe.”

The 34-year-old was ripped away from his wife and two young children on June 29 as part of President Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. He was doing an annual check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and did not expect to be detained.

“I felt fear for my family especially my son who was just four months and 11 days old. I never thought I would see them again, my wife and my girl,” he said in Spanish.

On Aug. 11, ICE objected to releasing Siguencia Hurtado on $20,000 bond, that was ultimately granted.

Siguencia Hurtado was joined at the Tuesday presser by his wife, Martha Mizhquiri, and two young children as well as his attorney, Karen De la Cruz.

In 2014, the district attorney’s office while under the administration of the late Ken Thompson wrote a letter to assist with Siguencia Hurtado to get legal status since he came to the U.S. in 2002 undocumented from Ecuador.

“This is an important reminder that the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office will stand by you,” Acting DA Eric Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez publicly called for Siguencia Hurtado’s release on Aug. 3, and joined with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in condemning ICE agents from arresting undocumented residents at courthouses, which they said should be treated as safe havens.

Siguencia Hurtado came forward and helped convict five defendants involved in 2012 and 2014 murders, respectively, that he witnessed.