U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has identified the Honduran father who was taken into custody by agents in Dunmore this week.
A statement from the agency described Concepción Castro-Delcid, 44, as an "illegal alien with a final order of removal" related to a 2019 border apprehension in Hidalgo, Texas.
The agency says Castro-Delcid and his minor daughter, who was not identified, are being returned to Honduras.
ICE also says Castro-Delcid led officers on a foot pursuit when they approached him on Wednesday.
The case made headlines after residents who witnessed the incident reached out to Dunmore Mayor Max Conway with concerns.
ICE: Castro-Delcid attempted to flee
Neighbors watched in shock Wednesday morning as Castro-Delcid was taken into custody in the 1700 block of North Webster Avenue by masked ICE agents while riding his bike to work.
Some witness accounts circulating on social media claimed that Castro-Delcid was approached and tackled by five masked agents who were screaming expletives even though he was not resisting.
ICE says that Castro-Delcid attempted to flee when approached.
"As officers approached and identified themselves as federal law enforcement, Castro-Delcid abruptly fled on foot, weaving through neighborhood yards and attempting to vault a backyard fence, actions that placed both the pursuing officers and nearby residents at unnecessary risk," the agency's statement says.
ICE's statement goes on to say that Castro-Delcid was taken into custody using appropriate tactics.
"In keeping with the ICE Use-of-Force Policy, agents applied only necessary, hands-on control techniques to stop his escape and secure him. No intermediate weapons or chemical agents were used," the statement says.
"Castro-Delcid incurred two minor scrapes and received on-scene treatment. As has been previously reported in the local media, all personnel were clearly marked as federal officers, and the incident was fully documented and is subject to routine supervisory review," the statement added.
Community worried about father, daughter
Conway, as well as state Sen. Marty Flynn (D-Dunmore), issued statements raising concerns about the apprehension of Castro-Delcid and his daughter, though both acknowledged they have no jurisdiction over federal immigration actions.
Conway said he spoke with federal agents on Wednesday and found them professional in their responses.
"But this wasn’t some violent criminal. It was a working single father and his young daughter. I don’t feel any safer knowing they were taken from our community,” Conway said.
Flynn's thoughts were similar.
“Remaining silent would ignore what I view as a failure of fairness and compassion,” Flynn said. “When federal actions remove working families who pose no threat to public safety, it does not make our communities stronger or safer. It only creates fear and uncertainty among people who contribute to our neighborhoods and schools every day … We are better than this, and our policies should reflect that.”
Dunmore resident Breeda Cronin Holmes told WVIA News her daughter was friends with Castro-Delcid's daughter, who was a fellow student at Dunmore Elementary Center.
“She was part of this community. She was in our parades. She has a Dunmore cheer uniform. This is a girl that had a future here … This is a little girl that's just like any other little girl,” Holmes said.
ICE: Father and daughter were reunified
ICE's statement said an immigration judge ordered Castro-Delcid removed in absentia on Feb. 23, 2023, after he failed to appear for immigration proceedings stemming from the border apprehension in Texas.
"During processing at the Pike County ERO office, Castro-Delcid informed officers that he is the primary caregiver of his minor daughter, who also has a final removal order. ICE’s Juvenile and Family Management Unit immediately initiated re-unification protocols to maintain family unity, coordinating with the Dunmore Police Department, the Dunmore School District, and contracted transport specialists," the ICE statement said.
"The family was re-united and will be returned to Honduras expeditiously," the statement added.
