Rideshare driver detained by ICE days after family's apartment fire
Serkan Bingol, a Turkish rideshare driver and father of a 5-month-old, was detained near Albany days after a fire destroyed his family's apartment. He is held at the Batavia detention center.
Oct 12, 2026Albany, NYCountry of origin: Turkey

Serkan Bingol, a Turkish national and rideshare driver, was detained by ICE agents near Albany, New York, on Oct. 12, days after a fire destroyed his family's apartment in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His wife, Tugba Merino, said ICE vehicles surrounded him after he left a Walmart, and he pulled into a Trader Joe's parking lot and cooperated without resisting. Merino said Bingol has a work permit and an immigration court hearing scheduled for 2029, and that his lawyer says he is being held because he had not yet reported a new address after the couple moved in September. Bingol is held at the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, and Merino is raising money to cover legal fees and recover from the fire while caring for their 5-month-old daughter.
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