Two days before he was supposed to stride across the stage at the University of Utah, a Park City-raised senior instead landed in federal immigration custody on his morning commute.
Lisandro Pantaleon Pacheco, 22, was stopped by federal agents on his way to an early shift and is now being held in a county jail in Wyoming. Family and friends say he had recently bought an engagement ring and was set to receive his bachelor’s degree on Friday, May 1.
According to KSL, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Pacheco on April 29 while he was driving on S.R. 224. His attorney, Adam Crayk, blasted the stop as “asinine” at a press conference and said Pacheco has no criminal history beyond a traffic citation. ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the station reports.
The Park Record reports Pacheco was pulled over at about 5:30 a.m. on his way to his job at The Bagel Den in Kimball Junction. Friends and classmates described him as a first-generation college student active in programs such as Bright Futures and Latinos in Action. Supporters packed a gathering at his lawyer’s office, calling for a fast legal review and his release, the paper notes.
Local public radio coverage says Pacheco’s girlfriend, Britney Xiques, used phone-tracking to locate him first at an immigration facility in West Valley City before he was moved to a jail in Evanston, Wyoming. A fundraiser for legal costs pulled in roughly $20,000 within hours. According to KPCW, attorneys are preparing habeas petitions and other filings to challenge the detention and plan to seek bond if he is transferred out of state. Crayk said he intends to push for immediate court review.
Legal Context and What Comes Next
Pacheco had applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, but legal experts say ongoing court fights have left many first-time DACA applications stuck in bureaucratic limbo. The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota notes that in recent years, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has accepted initial DACA filings but, in many cases, has been unable to approve them while lawsuits play out. Crayk told reporters he expects to move quickly with court filings to seek Pacheco’s release or a bond hearing; KSL reports that similar habeas approaches have previously led judges to order people freed from ICE custody.
Community Mobilizes
Neighbors, former teachers, and classmates describe Pacheco as a hardworking student and a familiar face around Park City, and they have been scrambling to organize donations and legal support as his case moves through the system. Organizers say they plan to keep fundraising and coordinating with immigration attorneys in hopes of securing his release in time for commencement. Local reporting says anyone who witnessed or has information about the April 29 stop is being urged to contact the lawyers working on the case.
