An online fundraiser to aid the family of a man taken into ICE custody in Oakmont on Thursday had collected more than $75,000 as of Tuesday evening.
Jose Flores, 47, was handcuffed and placed in an unmarked SUV by ICE agents Thursday morning in front of his 8-year-old daughter, Lily. He had been preparing the family car to bring Lily to school.
As of Monday, Flores — originally from Nicaragua — was being held in Northern Regional Correctional Facility and Jail near Moundsville, W.Va., according to ICE’s detainee locator.
Both Jose and his wife, Hariett, have five-year work visas, Hariett told TribLive. Both are employed, making the visas valid. They also both have Real IDs, valid driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers, she said. The family arrived in America in 2022 as asylum seekers.
The fundraiser, created by Oakmont resident and family friend Andrew Kelemen, has received more than 1,100 donations since it went online Saturday.
Kelemen said the funds will help the family pay for legal fees and basic expenses.
Hariett previously told TribLive that without Jose, she can’t afford to rent the place they’re in while also dealing with their car payments and bills.
Kelemen said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the attention the fundraiser has garnered.
“I think that the success of the fundraiser is a legitimate testament to what the idea of community means,” he said.
Among those donating, Kelemen said, many are simply “supportive and caring.” But others are likely fearful of the growing presence of federal agents throughout American cities, he said.
Borough Manager Scot Fodi said Oakmont does not have any working agreements with ICE or any other federal agencies.
Officials said they were unaware of ICE’s presence in the borough until word got out about Jose’s arrest.
Those who are interested can find the fundraiser at gofund me.com/f/standing-with-hanley-flores-in-solidarity.
