I first met Jesus López Rodríguez during a community cleanup at Flint’s Latinx Technology and Community Center last year. Jesus, like he’s done at community events for years, was at the event to make Cuban pizzas on his grill for volunteers who spent the day picking up litter, weeding gardens in the greenhouse, and various other tasks.
My son, then 14, was with me. He’s a notoriously picky eater and not at all adventurous when it comes to trying new food. Jesus offered to make him a pizza, and Oliver, also a shy kid, was unsure and politely said ‘no thanks’ even though I know he was hungry after a few hours of hauling heavy garbage bags. Jesus was persistent and kind, and showed Oliver his ingredients, explained how he made the pizzas, and convinced him to let him cook him one, which Oliver tried and loved. We saw Jesus at a couple of events after that, and always had to stop because his pizzas made their way into Oliver’s extremely small food rotation.
I’m sharing this because Jesus, a neighbor, friend, and part of our community in Flint is in peril. After a deportation order issued on December 2, 2025, he’s facing deportation to Cuba despite being a lawful, permanent resident who has lived in the United States for more than 21 years, 12 of those in Flint.
The Flint Alliance for Immigrant Rights (FAIR) is rallying the community in support of Jesus. In addition to calling on elected officials, federal agencies, and community leaders to speak out in support of him, they are also encouraging people to sign a Community & Organizational Sign-On Letter, showing support for his return to Flint, and a donation link to help with his legal defense.
FAIR is calling for Congressional and federal agency intervention to ensure the safety of Jesus López Rodríguez and that officials:
- Issue a stay of removal immediately for López Rodríguez;
- Release López Rodríguez from detention while legal representation reviews his case; and
- Investigate the detention conditions and access to medical care López Rodríguez experienced.
López Rodríguez, 61, is more than a pillar of our community. He’s a beloved family member who built a life and business here and provides primary financial support for his mother, a lawful permanent resident who depends on him for daily care.
“Jesus has spent more than two decades building his life in this country.” said Asa Zuccaro, Executive Director of the Latinx Technology and Community Center, in a news release. “Our community can not remain silent while a legal permanent resident is torn away from his family.”
For more than six months, López Rodríguez has been detained and is currently in the Calhoun County Correctional Facility in Battle Creek. According to a news release by FAIR, who has been in contact with his family and attorney, he has been subject to dangerous conditions, lack of medical care, and violations of due process.
He arrived in the United States in 2004 through the Cuban visa lottery with full approval from the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Lawful permanent residents are people from foreign countries who have been granted the right to live and work in the U.S. permanently, although it doesn’t provide them with full citizenship. On June 2, while on his way to work, he was stopped by federal agents. When he presented what he believed to be his valid permanent resident card, officers confiscated it and took him into custody.
According to FAIR, more than a decade ago, Jesus resolved a nonviolent offense in Florida for which he completed his sentence in 2013, and he has lived peacefully and productively in the community ever since. His longtime attorney and family noted to FAIR that this past matter does not reflect the person he is today or the stability he has built over the past 12 years in Michigan.
According to reports from his family, while in detainment, Jesus has endured:
- Overnight transfer between facilities without access to his basic personal belongings, leaving him without essential items such as vision and dental aids;
- Repeated periods of isolation as punishment and failure to provide necessary language interpretation;
- Safety concerns due to physical altercations initiated by others in custody;
- Substandard food and unsafe or unsanitary living conditions; and
- Serious, unaddressed health issues, including untreated injuries and difficulty accessing needed medical care.
“These conditions are unacceptable, life-threatening, and inhumane” Lucine Jarrah, FAIR Coalition Member, said in a statement. “No one should be subjected to this level of neglect and abuse. We need people to take action, demand accountability, advocate, and help us bring our loved ones home.”
Please consider supporting our neighbor if you can, but I also challenge anyone reading this to speak up, and challenge the thinking of anyone who endorses or supports federal policy that results in such cruelty. Jesus’ story is close to home, but it is not uncommon. This does not make us safer. In fact, it causes real harm and trauma in our communities. It is not morally or spiritually justifiable, and it is also not even defensible from a policy perspective when it creates situations that forcibly remove productive, hard-working, loved residents of our communities away. Be unequivocal in advocating for and screaming from the rooftops those facts.
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