When 18-year-old North High senior Jairo Pitalasig showed up for his construction shift last Monday, federal immigration agents detained him at the job site. The teenager, who had been juggling a full-time construction schedule with classes while his family sought asylum from Ecuador, is now in ICE custody in El Paso and facing deportation.
According to North News, Pitalasig arrived in Minneapolis in 2023 and became a primary earner after he turned 18 last June, working roughly 40 hours a week to help cover his father's cancer care. The outlet reports that he missed one routine immigration court date and, after discussing options with his family, decided not to seek reopening of his removal order and instead to return to Ecuador. Northside neighbors have launched fundraising efforts to help with travel and legal expenses.
Classmates, teachers and neighbors reacted with shock on social media, with posts demanding his release. As republished by Sahan Journal, Pitalasig's first‑hour teacher wrote, "This has to stop," saying the student had been taken from his job the night before. Several students have decided not to come to class, citing fear around intensified immigration enforcement.
Minneapolis Public Schools is offering an online learning option through Feb. 12 for families who opt in as the district responds to the heightened enforcement climate, as reported by Bring Me The News. District leaders say the move is meant to keep students on track academically while families weigh their safety concerns.
What Missing a Court Date Can Mean
Immigration lawyers caution that skipping a hearing can trigger serious consequences, including removal orders issued in absentia that sharply limit legal options. Graham Ojala‑Barbour, a St. Paul immigration attorney, notes that judges can order removal when someone fails to appear, and that trying to reopen those orders is both limited and complex. Under federal law, in many cases there is a tight 180‑day window to file a motion to reopen an in‑absentia order for "exceptional circumstances," as set out in 8 U.S.C. § 1229a.
Neighbors and Fundraisers
Neighbors on the northside have organized a GoFundMe to help pay for the family's return and immediate needs, and organizers say rapid transfers of detainees out of state make legal challenges harder, according to Sahan Journal. Advocates add that when people are moved far from local counsel, reopening proceedings within those tight statutory windows becomes even more difficult for families with limited resources.
Pitalasig's arrest comes amid a broader uptick in ICE operations in the Twin Cities that has drawn scrutiny from tribal leaders, elected officials and civil‑rights groups, as reported by The Washington Post. For now, classmates and teachers say they are trying to maintain something like a normal school routine for seniors like Pitalasig while the community waits to see what happens next.
