Undocumented Father in Metro-East Faces Swift Deportation, Community

(STAUNTON, ILLINOIS) An undocumented father and restaurant owner from Mexico was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on October 29 in this Macoupin County town, intensifying fear across the Metro-East as families brace for faster deportation decisions under the latest federal enforcement push.

The man, identified by his attorney as Ismael Ayuzo Sandoval, 41, was taken into custody after agents cited a 2008 misdemeanor DUI and multiple illegal border crossings. His lawyer says those factors are being overstated to speed his removal, and his detention has sparked a wave of community support and political calls for restraint.

Expedited removal: the policy change and its timing

The case unfolded as the Trump administration’s expanded expedited removal policy took hold. The change, enacted by an executive order signed by President Trump on January 21, 2025, allows immigration officers to deport people who can’t prove they have lived in the United States for at least two years at the time of arrest.

Key differences from the prior rule:
– Previously: expedited removal limited to those stopped within 100 miles of the border who had been in the U.S. less than 14 days.
– Now: expedited removal can be applied nationwide if someone cannot show two years’ presence.

Families and lawyers across the Metro-East say the new timeline is already reshaping outcomes, leaving little room for immigration court review and creating a surge of emergency planning among mixed-status households.

Defense attorney’s response and community ties

Sandoval’s attorney, Marleen Menendez Suarez, said ICE’s description of her client as a criminal is misleading.

• She noted he did not receive a criminal conviction in the DUI case and complied with all court orders.
• Suarez argues the rapid shift toward expedited deportation is stripping long-settled families of the chance to present their ties to the community, including:
  • U.S. citizen children
  • steady work histories
  • church involvement

Quote:

“Labeling him as a public safety threat ignores both the facts of the record and his life here,” Suarez said.

Local response: rallies and community outrage

The arrest galvanized residents in and around Staunton.

• Hundreds rallied in the town square in a gathering organized by Macoupin County Indivisible, urging ICE to release Sandoval on bond and allow him to pursue legal relief.
• Kelley Hatlee, co-founder of the group, said:
  “He’s just a pillar of the community. He is definitely not the worst of the worst that Donald Trump said he was going to target.”
• Retired pastor Benjamin Fiore, who baptized Sandoval’s daughter, described the father as warm, hard-working, and quick to help neighbors.

Several residents said they were stunned to see a local small-business owner taken into custody, calling it a warning to other long-time residents without legal status.

Broader enforcement actions and human impact

Beyond Staunton, a recent enforcement sweep separated dozens of Metro-East families at once.

• In one operation, ICE detained 27 men and women. Some were sent to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena; others were deported shortly after arrest.
• One case involved an undocumented father stopped in traffic while his 17-year-old son watched. According to a family account, officers took the man’s belongings, including $200 in cash, before he was taken away.

Advocates say such situations show how quickly the process now moves and how few options remain once someone is in custody.

Policy mechanics and detention statistics

Under the executive order:
– Officers can apply expedited removal anywhere in the country if a person can’t show they have been present for two years or more.
– This can mean removal without a hearing before a judge, a change immigration lawyers say fundamentally alters the balance of the system.

As of June 15, 2025:
– ICE held 56,397 immigrants in detention — the highest number on record.
– Nearly one-third had no criminal histories beyond civil immigration violations.

Analysis by VisaVerge.com attributes much of the increase to the broadened use of expedited removal, which:
– Reduces the time between arrest and deportation
– Limits access to legal counsel

State-level response: Illinois legislation

In Springfield, Illinois legislators moved to put guardrails around enforcement in public spaces.

• Lawmakers passed House Bill 1312 in early November to:
  • Ban immigration arrests in and around county courthouses, nearby sidewalks, and parking lots
  • Allow Illinois residents to sue for civil rights violations
• The bill now awaits Governor JB Pritzker’s signature.

Supporters say the bill would protect residents who need to attend court for traffic, family, or criminal matters without fear of arrest by immigration agents. Critics argue such protections impede federal enforcement efforts.

Immediate costs and logistical burdens on families

For families, the practical effects are immediate and costly.

• Relatives often must decide within days whether to seek bond or prepare for removal.
• Bond amounts have climbed to around $7,500 in some Metro-East cases, plus legal fees to prepare filings and appear at master hearings.
• If someone is transferred to an out-of-state facility, families face:
  • Longer drives
  • Limited visiting hours
  • Higher phone costs

These factors make legal preparation harder in a process that already moves quickly.

Community legal responses and preparedness

Attorneys in the region have started offering services to help families plan for sudden detentions.

• Free conditional guardianships: allow undocumented parents to name a trusted adult to care for children if a parent is detained or deported.
• Suarez, practicing in Fairmont City, said clinics have been full:
  “Parents come in asking, ‘What happens to my kids if I don’t come home?’ We help them create a plan.”

Advocates encourage families to keep key documents accessible:
– Birth certificates
– Medical records
– School contacts

But they caution that good preparation cannot replace access to a judge when expedited removal applies.

Federal defense of the policy

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security defend the policy shift as necessary to enforce immigration laws consistently nationwide.

• DHS says the nationwide approach addresses alleged “loopholes” that once encouraged people to move inland to avoid the 100-mile border zone.
• The department also states expedited removal maintains due process through screenings for fear-based claims.

Official guidance is posted by the Department of Homeland Security at https://www.dhs.gov, which emphasizes that people who express a fear of return must be referred for credible fear interviews before deportation proceeds.

Community reaction: fear, adaptation, and next steps

Immigrant families in the Metro-East describe a growing sense of unease.

• School counselors report students worry a parent may be gone by the time they get home.
• Employers report long-time workers missing shifts after traffic stops.
• Church leaders are organizing rides so community members can avoid driving without a license.

“It’s the speed that’s different,” said Fiore. “People don’t get to make their case. They just vanish.”

Sandoval’s supporters plan to keep pressing for his release while his lawyer examines options, including contesting the basis for rapid removal and highlighting his community ties. Suarez warns that, absent a policy change or prosecutorial discretion, more cases like his will end with deportation before families can gather paperwork or find a lawyer.

As the Metro-East adjusts to this new normal, many families are:
– Staying home
– Keeping their phones charged
– Hoping they won’t become the next story of an undocumented father taken in a process they have little chance to slow

Key takeaway: The expansion of expedited removal to a nationwide policy is accelerating deportations, straining families and legal resources, and prompting local political and community responses aimed at protecting long-standing residents.