BROCKPORT, N.Y. — Students at SUNY Brockport said they were shocked and wanted answers after an employee was detained by ICE at his home in Batavia.
RELATED: Union leader speaks in support of SUNY Brockport employee detained by ICE
Students on campus said they felt confused and hurt by the situation, especially since Brockport has about 150 international students.
“When things like this happen close by, it’s so different than seeing it online. And when you actually go and see it here. It makes you realize these issues aren’t just present out there – they are happening in my smaller community,” said Brockport student Liam Eveleigh.
Machado came to the U.S. in August 2016, and the Department of Homeland Security said he had until February 2017 to stay legally.
The United University Professions union told News10NBC on Tuesday that Machado had authorization to work until 2029. DHS told News10NBC, “work authorization or a pending application does not mean legal status in the U.S.”
“German was here on a work visa that was set to expire three years in the future. So why was he suddenly detained? The lack of transparency that really actually bothers me,” said Brockport student Samuel Robinson.
Members of student club Turning Point USA said they did not have enough details on what happened but said they do support ICE.
Robinson does have a message during this time of unease.
“Try to stick with your friends as much as you can. Don’t be afraid. A democracy only functions when you can engage in an open dialogue. Try to keep an open mind. But stick to your guns. Don’t be passive. Just keep love in your hearts,” Robinson said.
There is a planned “Visibility Event” at the college Thursday to support Machado at the student union. It’s from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Statement from the Department of Homeland Security
“On October 13, 2026, ICE arrested German Machado Guillen, an illegal alien from Venezuela, during a targeted enforcement operation in Batavia, New York. Machado Guillen lawfully entered the United States on August 30, 2016, with permission to stay until February 27, 2017. In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome by almost a decade and failed to depart. He will receive due process and remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
To be clear: work authorization or a pending application does not confer legal status in the U.S.
Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
Statement from United University Professions union
“United University Professions, the nation’s largest higher education union, today called for the immediate release of one of our members, a SUNY Brockport employee who was taken into custody by ICE agents this morning in front of his Batavia home. German Machado, a SUNY Brockport IT technician, was picked up by ICE agents as he was preparing to leave for work, according to his wife, Maria Velázquez. A journalist, Velázquez said the couple fled the Maduro regime in Venezuela in 2016 and sought asylum in America.
She said that Machado has a valid Employment Authorization Document to work at SUNY Brockport; the EAD expires in 2029. Issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an EAD proves that a noncitizen is legally authorized to work in the U.S. for a specific period of time. Machado is being held in the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.
‘German Machado is a good man and a hard worker who is in this country legally and who is legally authorized to work in this country,’ said UUP President Fred Kowal. ‘As a union, we will do all that we can to push for German’s release, including ensuring that his federal rights are not violated in any way by the Trump administration.‘
‘We are not criminals, we are good citizens trying to live a life in peace. We just want to live in safety,’ said Velázquez. ‘We own a home here. We are all professionals with university degrees. We work here and we pay taxes. (ICE) had no reason to do this to (Machado).‘
Velázquez said she believes that ICE agents were waiting for her husband to leave their house this morning to apprehend him. His car is still in the garage but his wallet and keys are gone.
She said the couple came to the U.S. because the Maduro regime threatened and harassed Velázquez for being a journalist. They applied for asylum in 2016 and they’ve been waiting for the case to be adjudicated since then.
‘We have complied with the laws, we’ve been doing everything we can,’ said Velázquez.”
We have been trying to get in contact with Machado’s wife, with no luck. The student journalism program at Brockport told us she’s trying to stay out of the public eye right now.
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