Wise County father with work permit detained by ICE after local traffic stop

A Wise County father and business owner is now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after he was pulled over for a traffic stop.The 59-year-old has a valid work permit, but the Wise County sheriff told county commissioners that sometimes that’s not enough.Wise County father detained by ICEDecatur business owner Rosendo Lira was arrested by Wise County sheriff’s deputies during a traffic stop on July 17.Lira’s daughter, Synthia, told the Wise County Messenger that her father was preparing for a quinceañera for her younger sister, Bella, who has Down syndrome. He went to get gas for his lawn mower and was pulled over three minutes from their house. The Wise County Sheriff’s Office then transferred Lira to ICE custody.Sheriff Cary Mellema is standing by his department’s decision to pull Lira over and transfer him to ICE custody despite his valid work permit.During a county commissioner’s meeting on Monday, Sheriff Mellema argued that valid employment authorization does not