Gas station worker called town's 'unofficial mayor' detained by ICE in Washington
Sep 17, 2026·Location: Conway, WA
Country of origin: Mexico

Juan Gerardo Alatorre Martinez, 46, a Mexican national who has lived in the U.S. for more than 25 years, was detained by ICE agents as he arrived for his shift at a gas station in Conway, Washington. Neighbors and coworkers described him as a beloved figure in town, sometimes calling him the 'unofficial mayor,' noting he paid taxes, kept his immigration paperwork in order, and had spent years helping others in the community. Martinez had been pursuing lawful permanent residency through a petition filed decades ago by his U.S. citizen brother and says he does not want to self-deport. His attorney said the original ICE report indicated agents were searching for someone connected to a car Martinez was driving, though DHS said the arrest was part of targeted enforcement citing civil violations including driving without a license. While held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Martinez has described unsanitary conditions, medical neglect, and witnessing another detainee injure himself, as community members have raised over $20,000 for his legal defense.
Timeline
Sources
- ICE detains man in green card process possibly due to mistaken identity
Newsweek·Sep 11, 2026·archived copy
- AZAGIL Conway residents rally behind man arrested by ICE in possible mistaken identity
azagil.com·Sep 11, 2026·archived copy
- Residents of this rural Washington town want their ‘mayor’ out of ICE detention
KUOW·Sep 17, 2026
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