A well-known Oregon vineyard owner was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside his church on Thursday.
Moises Sotelo-Casas was arrested outside St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Newberg, about 25 miles from Portland. His daughter, Alondra Sotelo-Garcia, told KGW8 that he’s now being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington.
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She learned of his arrest when a neighbor spotted his truck and informed her mother. After confirming it was his vehicle, she tracked him to an ICE detention facility in Portland and saw him later that day.
“I was crying, I was a mess,” she said. “He was in chains at his feet. Shoelaces were taken off, his belt was off, he didn’t have his ring, he didn’t have his watch. Everything was taken from him.”
Her father owns Novo Start Vineyard Service, a vineyard servicing business. He’s lived in the U.S. since the 1990s but only began the immigration process under President Biden. She said changes under President Trump made things harder.
“I know there’s a lot of talk of, ‘Well, he’s been here that long, why hasn’t he stepped up to do things the right way?’ But sometimes laws don’t play in your favor. Money’s often a big factor. Sometimes, both money and laws just don’t align,” said Sotelo-Garcia.
She said she understands ICE aims to detain criminals but stressed her father isn’t one of them.
The TV station reported no records were found for Sotelo-Casas.
Cindra Gray, a deacon at St. Michael’s, said the incident has shaken her community.
“We normally have 40 to 50 people at our Spanish service on Sundays. Today, there were 12—only adult children, no kids,” she said.
“Many told me they were too afraid to even leave their homes, go to the store at night, or show their faces. They’re trying to stay under the radar,” she added.
Gray said the fear feels even more intense than during Trump’s first term.
“They’re just sitting in their homes, afraid to show their faces… it’s not a good way to live, certainly not the American way,” said Gray.
Sotelo-Garcia has launched a GoFundMe to help cover legal and other expenses, as her father was the family’s main provider.
The Independent has reached out to ICE for a response.
Sotelo-Casas’ arrest comes amid national protests over ICE detentions, especially in Los Angeles, where Trump deployed the National Guard. A federal judge ruled the move illegal, though that decision is on hold pending an appeals court hearing on Tuesday.
Since June 7, LAPD officers have arrested 561 people as protests escalated.
Mayor Karen Bass later set an 8 p.m. curfew around protest areas.
Business owner Ryota Sakai, who runs a retail store in Downtown Los Angeles, told Cal Matters that protests have hurt customer traffic and sales.
“I’m a Japanese immigrant myself,” Sakai said. “I have my green card, but I understand the stakes — what others must go through just to be here.”
