Bronx food pantry rallies behind founder after he was detained by ICE

The Open Hand Association Food Pantry is normally open to the community on Thursdays and Saturdays, but Thursday it was closed because the founder of the pantry, Alexander Nelaj, is not there. He was detained by immigration officials this past Monday. The chairman of the board for the association says he was devastated by the news because Nelaj has been a beacon of hope in the community for the last 14 years. The pantry feeds around 7,000 to 8,000 people on a monthly basis. If need be, he would chip in out of his pocket, so take money out of his family's pockets and provide for the families in need. We reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to ask about Nelaj's detainment. Their statement says in part, on October 13th, ICE arrested Alexander Nelaj. He legally entered the U.S. on a temporary basis and illegally overstayed his lawful admittance in violation of our laws. He received due process and was ordered removed by an immigration judge on July 22, 2008. But the people who worked with him say he never stopped fighting to get his citizenship and attended all his court dates. He have to know, he knows that he's not alone and we're going to continue to fight for him until we make it back. Pantry volunteers and community members lined up outside on Thursday afternoon to get signatures in support of Alexander. He breaks our heart. He is a man of integrity. He is a man of compassion. And when you take care of the poor, the Bible says that a friend to the poor is a friend of God. They say they will continue to rally every day on Alexander's behalf. They say without him, the pantry will close indefinitely. In the Bronx, Leanna Wells, News 12.