Peruvian in Fort Bliss ICE detention says ‘American nightmare’ began after selling ceviche in Miami Beach

It was a hot July summer day in Miami when, looking to make a little extra income, Ricardo Quintana Chavez took to the beach to sell ceviche.

In just four weeks since, he’s been in four different detention centers – including the Dade County jail, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Florida known as Alligator Alcatraz, and two immigration detention facilities in El Paso.

“Hace un mes que no veo el sol. He bajado de peso 15 libras y tengo barba del siglo 19. Estoy desesperado y tambien por mi familia,” Quintana told El Paso Matters during a brief phone call from the East Montana Detention Facility on Fort Bliss. “I haven’t seen sunlight in a month. I’ve lost 15 pounds and have a 19th-century beard. I’m distressed for myself and for my family as well.”

Quintana, 57, an investigative journalist from Peru, said he sought asylum in the United States in 2021 after receiving death threats for his coverage of the Peruvian presidential elections and government corruption. While he had authorization to remain and work in the United States while his asylum case was heard, he said a definitive court date had never been set…

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