CT Post reporter Brian Lockhart reports a man held by ICE is a cook at Testo’s Restaurant.
After illegally crossing the border from Mexico to Arizona two decades ago, Luis “George” Alvarado-Rivera headed north.
And, according to his attorney, he settled in Bridgeport, where he has been cooking at the same prominent restaurant for 15 years and is a single dad raising an 8-year-old son.
Alvarado-Rivera is the unidentified man pulled over on North Washington Avenue around 10 a.m. July 15 by federal immigration enforcers and arrested. He currently awaits a hearing at Suffolk County House of Corrections in Boston.
“No criminal record. No immigration history other than being undocumented. Nothing that would raise a red flag,” Alvarado-Rivera’s attorney, Rashmi Patel of Stamford, told Hearst Connecticut Media Thursday when asked why her client was targeted. “It’s just an individual that was at the wrong time and the wrong place.”
Full story here.
I thought that Bridgeport is a “welcoming community.” Does MarioTestaJoeGanim care about that.
I wonder what Mario Testa was playing this guy?
Paying
If it’s worth saying, it’s worth repeating: no matter the temperature, beware of ICE that never melts.
(wink)
Beyond my comments above,this is a TRAGEDY with TrumpFederal Stormtroopers invading communities.
Why are companies hiring illegals to begin with that’s the problem!!! Shouldn’t companies do background checks ect?? I blame companies not the Illegals if companies would stop hiring them than they would not come here.
donj, that’s very empathetic from a Jamaican.
So Jamaicans are not empathetic lol?? I’m the son of immigrants I feel bad for illegals who are here and done nothing wrong but at the same time I believe in the law and companies who hire illegal immigrants is a big problem. Takes away jobs from legal citizens and legal immigrants who had to wait in line It’s not fair people can come here illegally and find jobs before others but I’m compassionate enough to know why people would leave there country to have a better life here so to me its these companies that hire illegals that are the big problem. This country immigration system is broken.
Omg… donj. Did that hit a nerve. Listen. I like your comments. I’ve read them. This is all about communication.
Donj,thats an easy question to answer..Companies hire illegals because they work cheaper&they don’t have to offer them benefits(health Insurance etc)
By all accounts, the chef was a really good guy and obviously a good employee/cook. The law is the law however and he has been picked up and detained for being an “illegal”.
ALL THOSE YEARS working for Mario Testa, one of the most powerful and influential political operatives in the state of Connecticut.
A phone call or two could have helped the chef get the status needed to be “legal”.
Dennis Bradley, an “immigration” lawyer. Up Testas ass as well. No one to help a hard working immigrant? Of course not. They use people and never help people. Just another example of governance under the leadership of the DTC. This is why the Dems have a hard time getting positive transformation to occur. They leave you all flat but use you as poster children when it works to THEIR advantage. Where’s Mario’s “outrage?”
Rich, Amen, and donj makes a great point, ” what will happen to this restaurant that hired an illegal for so long!!!
The big question is what will happen to this restaurant that hired an illegal for so long!!!
Nothing will happen because Mario will say: ‘I’m a no nuttin. Him a told me he know how to a cook so I a hire a him.”
Mario will keep his mouth shut because as usual he knows that all things will pass. State Dems are in control so I don’t think they will send auditors or IRS in to go over his businesses with a fine toothed comb. As long as he delivers the vote from Bridgeport on a state or fed election they too will kiss his ass.
Matter of fact just read the story about Merrill’s comments that she doesn’t have the power to police Bridgeport’s election. She says she has not received any complaints regarding the 2019 election YET!!!! I guess she has no memory of all the MANY recent past elections where obvious wrong doing occurred and where ultimately nothing was done about that either.
Poor taste. His accent was good enough for him to serve our country in Vietnam before becoming a citizen.
Yes you are right Grin. And as you know, other the my facetious comments towards the bartender, I don’t usually stoop to that level, especially since I speak a few languages fluently, have traveled the world extensively, and understand the cultures of many people. I will say however that his service to our country may have been noble, I don’t know, but his service to Bridgeport has been completely selfish for himself and his cohorts. This is why the city is in the dire straights that it is.
In many many ways I might add.
Seriously time for a change.
Millions of “undocumented” immigrant workers are earning income. Illegals often get jobs by using illegally obtained, forged, or invalid Social Security numbers. Employers in turn withhold payroll taxes and report the earnings to the Social Security Administration (SSA) using those numbers.
Federal law requires noncitizens who earn income in the U.S. to file tax returns. In order for a person who isn’t eligible for an SSN to do this, the Internal Revenue Service provides an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in fact between 2005 and 2010 tax returns were filed by almost 8 million undocumented persons. donj what say you about that, the illegals that you excoriate are tax paying non American’s who help pay to build the wall to keep them out.
Just experienced this in one party rule, Republican Rushville IN. Legal Mexican immigrants, Brothers owning 5 restaurants, 2 in this town. Over 800,000 in IRS taxes evaded, 30 plus fake Social Security Cards discovered so far. The local paper has stopped following up, because this family is well liked. The local citizens don’t care because these are the only decent restaurants in the area. Yet, the local residents Love Trump and spout, build that wall! Because it’s going to keep the bad a Mexicans out. I have no words left for these people.
Donald is correct. It’s called an i-9 status form.
https://www.uscis.gov/i-9
The comments by Bridgeport elected officials suggest that their views on this matter are based on emotion only and disregards guidelines that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials must follow.
The comments reflect the Democrat Party narrative.
Does anyone seriously believe that ICE would take someone into custody without a court-order?
Have any of the Bridgeport elected officials attempted to learn why Luis “George” Alvarado-Rivera was taken into custody?
His attorney says he has committed no crime. Of course, being in the United States in violation of immigration guidelines is a crime,
Perhaps the Bridgeport Police Department can share some details. Unfortunately, the Democrat party-controlled state legislature adopted legislation advising local police departments not to cooperate with ICE. Bridgeport’s all-Democrat party city council approved a non-binding statement in the previous council session declaring Bridgeport a ‘welcoming city’.
Luis “George” Alvarado-Rivera has a ‘financial and emotional’ attachment to his eight year old child. Is he custodial? Or, does the child live with its mother who may be on ‘public assistance’
The issue of whether someone can legally be employed is an old topic. Applicants for employment are required to complete an I9 form and provide a tax ID number, typically social security number or proof of legal alien (green card) status.
Was Luis “George” Alvarado-Rivera actually employed by a restaurant or payed cash (under the table) with no report of taxed earnings?
This story would be best served by a follow-up investigative report by the CT Post, but that is highly unlikely given the resources needed and the biased position of Hearst Connecticut Media.
All of you step back and take a deep breath. Luis “George” Alvarado-Rivera is a single father raising an eight-year old son. He has been working at Mario Testa’s for a long time, years and years.
What’s wrong with this picture? Number one, he is in the country ILLEGALLY. In case anyone forgot the United States of America is A NATION OF LAWS. Señor Alvarado violated one when he crossed the border into Arizona, the law that states a visa is required for entry. “No criminal record. No immigration history other than being undocumented. Nothing that would raise a red flag,” Alvarado-Rivera’s attorney, Rashmi Patel of Stamford, told Hearst Connecticut Media Thursday when asked why her client was targeted. “It’s just an individual that was at the wrong time and the wrong place.” That still doesn’t exonerate him. On the up side he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Number two, Mario Testa is a criminal for hiring undocumented workers. Have any of you wondered how many others are employed at Testo’s?
Vergognati, Don Mario. Quanti altri hai impiegato?
Tom White wrote, Does anyone seriously believe that ICE would take someone into custody without a court-order? HELL YES, Tom White is just being white like his idol President 45 who is a resident living in public housing in Washington DC. Tom to answer your question I’m sure you remember The Central Park Five where these 5 teenager were arrested and served time in prison for a rape case of a white female jogger where the police force these young men to plea guilty to the rape. They serve 6 years in prison and they sued New York City and the city settled and paid $41 million, they also sued the state and settled for $3.9 million. Tom White’s hero paid $85,000 in 1989 for a full page ad in four city newspaper calling for their executions. President 45 after a decade of these teenagers exoneration of being accused of raping a white woman in Central Park and President 45 has said that he still doesn’t accept their innocence, plus he does not think that he owes them an apology for publicly calling for their executions. This is still America.
The White House is not public housing! If you disagree, try spending the night there, uninvited.
Try spending the night in P.T. without permission…
That’s it, it’s easy to demonize the illegal immigrants that came to this country for a better life and for all things considered he did just that without incident. That’s it, it’s easy to demonize the illegal immigrants it’s nothing personal it’s just your turn. America did it to the muslims and for hundreds of years it was Black’s, who today still endure that from none other than the president of America.
After all he entered through Arizona which by the way belonged to Mexico that America took in 1848, after the Mexican War, most of the Arizona territory became part of the U.S.
Which should matter more, what he did to live in America or how he lived and comported himself in the 18 years that he has been here. It’s in American DNA to demonize someone or something and illegal immigrants it’s just your time.
Typical Mackey / Day responses. The double-digiters are ‘fired-up’.