Bronx food pantry founder detained by ICE during court hearing

Aleksander “Alex” Nilaj, the founder and president of the Albanian American Open Hand Association, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on October 13. Nilaj was taken into custody at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan while attending a scheduled immigration hearing. He has since been moved to a detention center in Newark, New Jersey.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Nilaj, an Albanian national, entered the United States legally on a temporary visa in 2006 but remained in the country after the visa expired. An immigration judge had issued a removal order in 2008, which resulted in his detention 18 years later.

Nilaj founded the Open Hand Association in 2012. The food pantry in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx serves between 7,000 and 8,000 people monthly, providing groceries to low-income families and seniors. Following his detention, the pantry has suspended food distributions, with organizers stating they cannot manage the workload without him. Community members and local officials, including Congressman Richie Torres, have expressed support for Nilaj, and an online petition has been launched to seek his release.