Former employee of Hardcoat facing deportation granted $3,000 bond
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A 27-year-old Guatemalan man who made an appearance at Fort Snelling Immigration Court Wednesday used to work at HardCoat Inc. where ICE arrested several people last month.
That’s according to the attorney representing Wilson Navas-Gomez, who faces deportation. His attorney, Gabriela Anderson, says Navas-Gomez, who is being detained at Freeborn County Jail, was one of the people arrested at the business Feb. 26.
Judge Sarah Mazzie granted Wilson Navas-Gomez a $3,000 bond.
She said Navas-Gomez has no criminal record and has a child who is a U.S. citizen as well as several relatives living in the country. The judge also noted that Navas-Gomez’s father is a lawful permanent resident and has filed a request with the government to grant legal status for his son. Mazzie said Navas-Gomez entered the U.S. illegally in 2020.
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ICE Assistant Chief Counsel Luke Nelson requested a higher bond, saying Navas-Gomez had not tried to “regularize his status” while being in the country illegally.
Mazzie told Navas-Gomez that if he pays the bond he’ll be released. But she said that won’t end his legal matters.
“You will have additional hearings in the future to decide whether you will be permitted to stay in the United States,” said Mazzie. She added that he needs to also stay in contact with his lawyer. “That will be important because your case could last many years.”
Anderson said Navas-Gomez can choose to apply for asylum, and potentially obtain a work permit, but he will have to wait a while until he's able to apply for and receive the work permit.
“The rule is that after you submit your application for asylum, you have to wait five months to be able to apply for the work permit, and then you have to wait another month after that,” Anderson said.
Correction (March 20, 2025): A previous version of the story had the incorrect date of the arrests at HardCoat Inc. and a misspelled name. The current story has the correct date and spelling.
