Aleksander Nilaj, a food pantry founder and beloved member of the Albanian-American community in the Bronx, was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Oct. 13, sending shockwaves through the Bronx.

The Albanian American Open Hand Association (AAOHA) said that Nilaj was detained while attending an immigration court appearance. He is currently detained at Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey.

Nilaj founded the food pantry in 2012, originally delivering food packages, school supplies , and other community needs in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand soared, serving 7,000 to 8,000 people a month, according to the organization. The food pantry, located on Lydig Avenue, said the food pantry will not operate until Nilaj is released from detention.

“He is the most magnificent person. He cares about the community… He is well liked by the entire community,” said Edith Blitzer, who manages the building that Nilaj worked as a superintendent in.

“We love him. He's like another son to me. His wife and children are terrific. What more can I say? This never should have happened,” Blitzer said.

Blitzer said Nilaj had pre-existing health conditions, including a bad back. Rep. Ritchie Torres, who has been sounding the alarm about conditions at Delaney Hall, including inadequate health care, visited Nilaj at the detention center and called for his release.

“[Aleksander] never turns anyone away. Whenever there is a tragedy that strikes the Bronx, [Aleksander] is the first one on the ground,” Rep. Torres said in an Instagram video, stating that his team had been partnering with him for decades.

“Donald Trump’s policy of mass deportation is tearing communities and families apart. Detaining a man who has dedicated his life to feeding those in need, is not justice, its cruelty,” Rep. Torres said in the video.

Bronx Community Board 11, which serves Pelham Parkway, wrote a letter on Nilaj’s behalf to an immigration judge, urging that he be released on bond, based on his significant service to the community and lack of criminal history.

“I've known him a long time. [He’s] a very friendly, positive person. He works hard,” said Bronx Community Board 11 District Manager Jeremy Warneke. “He's one of the nicest people you could ever meet.”

On Oct. 1, a federal judge tossed out a lawsuit by the Trump administration to block New York City’s sanctuary laws, stating that U.S government cannot force local governments to comply with immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that immigration enforcement targets those who have entered the country unlawfully and have criminal records.

Data analyzed by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse show that over 70% of immigrants detained have no prior criminal history.

A spokesperson for DHS claimed that Nilaj received “due process” and his removal was ordered by an immigration judge on July 22, 2008. “On October 13, 2026, ICE arrested Aleksander Nilaj, an illegal alien from Albania. He legally entered the U.S. on a temporary basis on October 1, 2006 and illegally overstayed his lawful admittance in violation of our laws,” a DHS spokesperson said.

Marina Samuel is a Bronx native and reporter at the Bronx Times. A 2025 graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, she blends data and storytelling to dig into the policies and issues shaping her borough. Her work has also appeared in THE CITY, City Limits, and the Mott Haven Herald.

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