CHAMBERSBURG – A Dec. 20 community rally is planned to protest the deportation of Carlos Bonilla, described as a devoted father and grandfather, custodian at Falling Spring Elementary School, YMCA employee and a deeply respected neighbor.
He has lived in the United States since the 1990s and in Chambersburg for more than 20 years, said march organizer Amy Weibley, whose children attend the school where Bonilla worked. Bonilla was a legal non-citizen who followed immigration requirements, held a Pennsylvania Real ID, had a U.S. Social Security number for work and passed required background checks. He has no criminal record, Weibley said.
On Black Friday, during a routine immigration follow-up, Bonilla was detained by ICE, she said. He was given no hearing.
“He was transferred through multiple detention facilities across several states under inhumane conditions and deported without a hearing on Dec. 9,” Weibley said. “He was left in Nogales, Mexico, with almost nothing, without access to his diabetes medication or medical care. He has since traveled to Guadalajara to stay with family while awaiting care.”
Bonilla “deeply misses his daughter and grandson and the children at Falling Spring Elementary, whom he loved helping,” Weibley added. “His story is not unique—and that injustice demands a response.”
And children at Falling Spring miss Bonilla too. One parent noted, “Carlos is a custodian at my kids’ school, and they absolutely love him. They treat him like a celebrity. My daughter says she missed picking up the lunchroom with him after lunch and learning Spanish.”
Two parents spoke at the Chambersburg Area School District meeting Tuesday night, one of them in tears, saying how much their children miss “Mr. Carlos.” They said teachers have been told not to address Bonilla’s absence, and parents have not received information. School board members and administrators remained silent after their comments, and efforts to obtain information from Superintendent Christoper Bigger and the communications staff today were unsuccessful.
The March for Justice for Carlos, a Community March & Rally Calling for Accountability and Due Process, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 20. The march begins on E. McKinley and Sixth streets in Chambersburg (on the sidewalk between Sixth and Middle Streets). The route will pass Bonilla’s. workplaces and travel along major transportation routes 11 & 30, concluding at the Courthouse Plaza.
Marchers are asked to stay on sidewalks and public areas, observe all parking signage on streets and lots. Those wishing to can simply join the group at Courthouse Plaza.
Readers can learn more at https://mobilize.us/s/Vip1mD. Weibley noted the march is a grassroots effort coordinated by a group of concerned citizens. It is not sponsored by or affiliated with any organization.
“This march represents the journey so many immigrants take in search of safety, opportunity, and the American Dream,” Weibley said. “”As the march passes by Carlos’s employers, the community will honor the essential, often unseen labor immigrants contribute every day—supporting schools, community centers and the local economy.
“The march will conclude at the courthouse to highlight the injustice Carlos, and countless other law-abiding immigrants, have endured: denial of due process, dignity and basic fairness,” Weibley added.
“This is a call for visibility, accountability and solidarity. Our community is walking together to say clearly: Chambersburg stands for justice, humanity, and bringing Carlos home. You cannot disappear a hardworking, caring, contributing member of our community without people taking notice. Being working class does not make one a criminal. Justice for Carlos,” Weibley said.
Weibley also is asking readers to:
- Sign the petition: https://c.org/FJYxVLkt97
- Contact elected officials: https://bit.ly/4j2roKT
- Support Carlos’s legal and medical costs:
www.gofundme.com/f/support-carlos-bonillas-stay-in-our-community
