West Hartford Restaurant Owner Seyo Cecunjanin Released After ICE Detention

Seyo Cecunjanin, a West Hartford, Connecticut, restaurant owner who emigrated from Montenegro in 1997, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 20, 2026 and held for 12 days at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He is awaiting adjustment of status after his 2019 family‑based visa petition (I‑130) was approved and he filed an I‑485 in September 2023. He holds a valid employment authorization document and an advance parole travel permit.

Local and federal officials, including Connecticut Representatives John Larson, Jim Himes, Rosa DeLauro and Senator Richard Blumenthal, sent a joint letter to ICE demanding his release and organized a press conference outside West Hartford Town Hall. After continued pressure, Cecunjanin was released on July 2, 2026 and returned to his businesses, Portobello Restaurant and The Laundry Room. Senator Blumenthal said, “ICE seizing and detaining him was cruel and unconscionable,” while Rep. Larson expressed relief at his safe return.

The case occurred amid a surge in ICE arrests that saw more than 10,000 people detained nationally over five days in late June. Homeland Security officials later noted that Cecunjanin had previously traveled abroad with permission and suggested his detention may have resulted from an administrative error.