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Rhinebeck landscaper detained by ICE for over a year wins stay of deportation

Sep 30, 2026·Location: Rhinebeck, NY

Country of origin: Honduras

Rhinebeck landscaper detained by ICE for over a year wins stay of deportation
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Gerson Josué Santamaría Turcios, a Honduran immigrant and Rhinebeck High School graduate who ran his own lawn care and landscaping business, was arrested by ICE as he returned home from work. He had lived in the Rhinebeck community for years, building long-term employment relationships with local residents who describe him as warm and hard-working. A Manhattan judge denied his request for a temporary restraining order, and he was held at Orange County Jail before being transferred to the Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana. A coalition called New York Neighbors Unite launched a fundraising campaign that quickly raised more than $26,000, eventually growing to over $132,000 with support from former employers, teachers, classmates, actor Paul Rudd, filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, and U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan. His attorney, Karen Weinstock, pursued a habeas corpus petition, and a U.S. appeals judge from the Second Circuit granted him a stay of removal after more than a year in custody. Local resident Martha Honey said neighbors remain concerned about his ongoing imprisonment.

Timeline

Sep 30, 2026—Second Circuit appeals judge granted stay of removal after total fundraising reached over $132,000
Jun 23, 2026—Community fundraising campaign launched, raising over $26,000 within a day
Jul 23, 2025—Manhattan judge denied request for temporary restraining order
Jul 18, 2025—Detained by ICE while returning home from work
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