Sergio Cerdio Gomez went to a federal building in Yakima, Washington on April 24, 2025, for an immigration interview. The 42-year-old food truck owner left in handcuffs.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Gomez during what his family thought was a routine Green Card appointment. His wife Gabrielly, a U.S. citizen who filed the petition, watched it happen.
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The Arrest Inside a Federal Building
Gomez and his wife Gabby arrived at the Yakima federal building with their paperwork. Officials called only Sergio’s name. They told Gabby to stay in the lobby.
Thirty minutes passed.
An ICE agent then approached Gabby. Her husband was in custody on an arrest warrant, the agent said. Neither Sergio nor Gabby saw this warrant. Their new legal team later searched for it. No record existed in the system.
The arrest used what immigration defense groups call a “ruse.” According to the National Immigration Law Center, ICE agents learn this tactic during training. Interview letters bring people into federal buildings. Administrative warrants allow arrests there but not in private homes.
Why Administrative Warrants Matter
ICE operates with administrative warrants, specifically Form I-200 documents. Immigration officers sign these. Judges don’t.
These warrants work only in public spaces. They cannot get agents into homes. Federal buildings count as public spaces where arrests can occur.
Court-issued judicial warrants work differently. Judges sign them. Police can enter homes with them. ICE rarely has these.
Sergio’s immigration attorney had questioned why an in-person interview was necessary. Marriage-based green card petitions usually get decided through mail. The unusual request made sense only in retrospect.
A Life Built Over Decades
Sergio crossed the border in 1998. He was 14 years old. His uncle brought him.
More crossings followed over the years. These entries without inspection would later become the basis for his removal. He settled permanently in Washington state around 2013.
A restaurant job in 2014 introduced him to Gabby Cerdio. Eight years later, they married. Their family includes Gabby’s 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, their 5-year-old son, and a baby who was 10 months old when Sergio was detained.
April 2023 marked a milestone: the couple opened Hibachi Explosion food truck in Kennewick. The business served the local community. Sergio had no criminal record. The family states he never used fake documents, false Social Security numbers, or received public assistance.
Ten Years of Trying to Get Legal
2015: Sergio applied for asylum. He cited cartel violence in his Mexican hometown. When his stepdaughter Sienna moved in with them, money got tight. They dropped the case.
2020: They tried asylum again. But this path required Sergio to turn himself in to ICE. With a newborn and teenager at home, they couldn’t risk it. Another option meant Sergio returning to Mexico for up to ten years. That would destroy their business plans.
2023: After saving money, they hired an attorney. Gabby filed Form I-130, the petition for a spouse’s Green Card. The lawyer said processing would take 12 to 18 months. Sergio would be safe during this time, the attorney assured them.
Nearly three years passed. Then came the interview notice. The official letter threatened denial if they didn’t show up. Their attorney’s concerns meant nothing against that threat.
The Law That Trapped Him
Sergio’s unlawful entries created multiple legal problems. Section 212(a)(6)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act makes him inadmissible for being present without legal admission.
His multiple border crossings triggered Section 212(a)(9)(B). This creates a 10-year ban on getting legal status. These are civil violations, not crimes. But they carry severe consequences.
His clean criminal record didn’t matter legally. His U.S. citizen wife and children didn’t protect him. His business ownership meant nothing. Past immigration violations outweighed everything else under the law.
The Only Defense: Cancellation of Removal
Immigration attorney Carlos Weton has commented on cases like Sergio’s. Cancellation of Removal offers the main defense option. Three requirements must be met:
Continuous presence for 10 years. Sergio had been here since 1998. Over 25 years qualified him.
Good moral character. No criminal record helped. Never using fake documents strengthened his case. Steady employment history mattered.
Exceptional hardship to U.S. citizens if deported. This requirement would decide everything. Not regular hardship. Not even extreme hardship. Exceptional AND extremely unusual hardship.
Most families can’t prove this level of suffering. Missing dad doesn’t qualify. Financial problems rarely count. Judges want medical emergencies, special needs children, or dangers that threaten life itself.
From Detention to Deportation
The Tacoma Northwest Detention Center held Sergio after his arrest. His family hired new lawyers. They started fundraising online. Legal fees would cost thousands.
May 19, 2025: First court hearing. “Didn’t go as well as they had hoped,” Gabby posted on social media.
June 13, 2025: Final hearing. The judge ordered deportation.
June 17, 2025: Sergio was deported to Mexico. Twenty-seven years of U.S. residence ended.
Kennewick Responds
Local residents created “Free Sergio” buttons. Customers kept buying from the food truck. The community knew the family. They wanted to help.
But Gabby struggled. Running a food truck alone with three kids proved nearly impossible. The baby needed constant attention. The 5-year-old couldn’t be left alone. Her teenage daughter missed normal activities to help with childcare and the business.
“I will be MIA from the truck today as we are heading to Tacoma to see Sergio,” Gabby posted on April 29. Service became unpredictable. Some days the truck couldn’t open at all.
Part of a Pattern
Sergio’s arrest fits documented enforcement trends. Parents attending immigration appointments face similar risks nationwide. Maria Bonilla’s detention in Atlanta followed the same pattern.
USCIS website instructions explain how to apply for family-based Green Cards. They don’t mention that appointments might lead to arrests. Applicants provide addresses, employment details, and family information. ICE can access this data.
Both agencies operate under the Department of Homeland Security. Information sharing between them is routine. Legal applications become enforcement opportunities.
Two Months Since Deportation
August 23, 2025. Sergio has been in Mexico for over two months. He stays with relatives there.
Gabby keeps the food truck running when possible. Three children depend on her. New lawyers review the case, searching for options.
The 10-year ban complicates everything. Waivers exist but rarely get approved. Alternative visas might work but take years. Family reunification seems distant.
“Eventually we will start to talk with new lawyers to see how we can get him back,” Gabby wrote online. “In the meantime, I will still be running the food truck solo and take care of our kids.”
The kids ask about their father. The teenager helps more than she should have to. The 5-year-old doesn’t understand why dad can’t come home. The baby won’t remember him if this takes years.
Sergio Cerdio Gomez built a life in America starting at age 14. He married a U.S. citizen, raised American children, and ran a legal business. On April 24, 2025, an immigration interview ended all of it. His detention shows how the system treats decades of community ties as worthless when old immigration violations exist in government computers.
