When two employees of a longstanding Tex-Mex restaurant in Central Texas were detained by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers on the way to work this week, their employer, Matt Cisneros, knew he had to do something.
In a GoFundMe description, Cisneros said Ramon Avilez-Frias and Maria Del Pilar Moreno-Loredo were detained by ICE on Monday, September 7, at 6 a.m. as they arrived for work. He described Aviles-Frias and Moreno-Loredo as “two longtime employees of Cisco’s” and “beloved members of the restaurant community.”
“They are hardworking, tax-paying people with no criminal records who have shown up every day for their jobs, their loved ones, and their community,” Cisneros wrote. “Most importantly, they are parents and spouses whose families are now facing fear, instability, and sudden hardship.”
This isn’t the first time Austin’s restaurant industry has felt the pinch of the Trump administration’s heightened immigration enforcement activity. Earlier this year, an award-winning Italian restaurant owner told MySA that five of his employees and family members were detained, deported or interacted with ICE in some way.
In February, L’Oca d’Oro owner Adam Orman said he’s had three employees detained by ICE, two of whom were released over several months and applied for work permits while the third person chose to be deported last year due to their expensive $15,000 bond. Cisneros said that the funds raised for his Cisco’s employees will help both Aviles-Frias and Moreno-Loredo families work with immigration attorneys to advocate for their release and “cover essential day-to-day expenses” as they remain in ICE custody.
“This support can help ease some of the immediate financial pressure and give their families a better chance to navigate the legal process ahead,” Cisneros said. “We are asking the community to come together for Ramon and Maria, to stand beside two innocent, hardworking people and the families who depend on them.”
As of Friday, September 11, Aviles-Frias and Moreno-Loredo’s GoFundMe has received more than 270 donations, raising $21,481 out of its $22,000 goal. Cisco’s is a historic Tex-Mex restaurant and bakery that has been serving the East Austin community for more than 75 years. The restaurant is known for its huevos rancheros, carne guisada plates and breakfast tacos.
MySA reached out to Cisco’s and the ICE Department of Homeland Security for more information on Aviles-Frias and Moreno-Loredo.
