A Michigan doctor who came to the United States nearly 40 years ago has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, WXMI reported.
Lukasz Niec, who works at Bronson Healthcare in Kalamazoo, came to the United States from Poland with his parents in 1979. His family said Niec had a green card and permanent legal resident status, WXMI reported.
ICE agents picked up Niec on Tuesday, his family said. His sister, Ivona Niec-Villaire, said two misdemeanors -- one for destruction of property and the other for receiving stolen property -- were included in the charging documents, and she told WXMI it was her belief that these charges were the reason ICE had detained the doctor.
“When I walked into that jail cell and I had to look at him through the glass and talk with him on the phone ... I just broke down into tears,” Niec-Villaire told WXMI. “He’s scared and he’s humbled at how everyone has rallied behind him. And the first thing he said to me was, ‘I’m sorry I’m putting you through this.’ And I said, ‘You don’t have to be sorry you did nothing wrong.’”
Relatives are hoping Niec’s case will be heard in early February, but said it could be weeks or even months before that occurs, WXMI reported.
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