Noel Quintana, co-owner of Señor Machetes on East Main Street, was recently detained by the Department of Homeland Security at O’Hare International Airport, according to his attorney.
The attorney could not confirm what day he was detained.
An official at the Clay County Jail — a detention facility in Brazil, Indiana — confirmed Quintana was in custody Feb. 11.
“The Department of Homeland Security has imprisoned and denied bond to Noel Quintana, alleging that a 20-year-old nonviolent crime should result in his deportation,” his attorney, Kate Frigo Drury, said in a statement to the Cap Times.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Feb. 12 that Customs and Border Protection had made the arrest but declined to address further questions, referring the Cap Times to Customs and Border Protection.
Customs and Border Protection officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Wisconsin court records show Quintana was previously charged in 2006 for cocaine possession, a felony, and entered a no contest plea. He was sentenced to three years of probation. But he has been charged with no crime in the nearly two decades since then, according to Drury.
“Mr. Quintana is nothing but a loving husband and father of three, a good neighbor, and a successful businessman who works to make our community a better place. We are fighting to keep his family together. We are fighting to keep our neighborhood whole,” Drury said.
Quintana was born in Mexico and has lived in the United States since he was 16. He is a legal permanent resident with a green card, according to his attorney. He opened Señor Machetes, a Mexican restaurant specializing in machetes, a long-filled corn tortilla, with his wife in 2019.
Noel Quintana is the co-owner of Señor Machetes, a popular downtown Madison restaurant. He was detained by federal agents at O'Hare International Airport.
The couple’s daughter, Glenda Garcia, opened Señora Machetes in the One Social Food Hall last year.
Quintana’s attorney filed a pardon application Feb. 9, which has been forwarded to the Governor's Pardon Advisory Board. The form asks Gov. Tony Evers to pardon Quintana for the 2006 conviction.
Quintana’s detention has prompted outrage from the community, including from state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, who is running for governor and used to own Morris Ramen down the street from Señor Machetes.
“We would frequent each other's restaurants. I could talk shop with him,” Hong said.
At least two GoFundMe fundraisers have been started to support the family; one by neighbors Johnathan Cooper and Jane Richard and another by Lucy Rude of Rude Brewing Kombucha and Lacy’s Kitchen. Together, the fundraisers have collected nearly $40,000.
“Acknowledging the value of the support that has been offered, I would also ask our community to be respectful of the family's request for privacy at this crucial juncture in his immigration case,” Drury said.
Amid the Trump administration’s efforts to expand immigration enforcement in nearby cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, Hong encouraged people to “stay vigilant” and invest in mutual aid resources.
“They want us to live in fear and to silence us. And one of the most important things that people can do right now is share resources. Double down on mutual aid (and) support immigration justice organizations,” she said.
