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The co-owner and head chef of the Roseway neighborhood pizza cart Reeva Cafe y Cocina has been denied permission to reenter the United States, according to an Instagram post shared Monday, resulting in the cart’s indefinite closure.
A Nov. 4 post on the restaurant’s Instagram account announced that Nov. 9 would be its last day of business for the foreseeable future, but details were not shared at the time.
According to the latest post, Roberto Hernandez Guerrero, Reeva’s co-owner and head chef, was denied permission to reenter the United States after a required hearing in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Hernandez Guerrero has lived legally in the United States for more than 20 years, according to Reeva’s post, and was advised he could reenter the country on the last leg of the legal process required for permanent residency. On top of being separated from his business, Hernandez Guerrero is being separated from his wife and three children. A GoFundMe campaign to aid with Hernandez Guerrero’s legal fees had reached $6,500 of its $8,000 goal at the time of this writing.
Portland’s dining scene has been quick to speak out in support of Hernandez Guerrero and Reeva.
“He has been a steady, generous, brilliant presence in my life and in this city and in this food community for over a decade. He is beloved and he is one of the hardest working humans I know,” Mika Paredes, co-owner of Cornet Custard, wrote in an Instagram post. “People like Roberto who contribute, who nourish, who uplift, who show up, deserve safety, stability and a home with their families.”
Under the premise of cracking down on crime, the Trump administration’s deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers across the state has instead caused widespread fear and panic. Salem’s city council will join the cities of Woodburn and Hillsboro to declare a state of emergency over ICE activity, according to the Statesman Journal. WW has reported previously that an American citizen was detained by ICE in Portland despite having legal documentation.
Those targeted by recent immigrant enforcement actions include Moises Sotelo Casas, a business owner who managed vineyards across the Willamette Valley and who was deported to Mexico in July, and Danny Quach, who owns Lake Oswego’s Happy Sparrow Cafe and was detained by ICE earlier this month. The nonprofit organization DAWN Inc. has flagged that a Portland man was among 50 Ukrainian war refugees deported by ICE.
“We hold onto hope for the future—whether that means reopening Reeva’s doors later on, hosting pop-up events, or new ways to bring our flavors to you,” says the Instagram post announcing the cart’s closure.
