Recently, family members of a Chinese restaurant owner in a small town in upstate New York have launched a fundraising campaign on the platform GoFundMe. This comes after the owner was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month while applying for a green card. As of the deadline on July 25th, the fundraising goal of $20,000 has been met.
According to the fundraising page and local media, a 51-year-old man named Roger Wang owns a Chinese restaurant in the town of Owego, New York, and has been in business for 25 years. The restaurant is popular among the residents of this town with a population of less than 20,000.
Mr. Wang first entered the U.S. in 1992 and has been living in America for 33 years. According to the fundraising page, “Following the turmoil of the protest in Tiananmen Square, Roger left communist China to escape political persecution.”
According to Syracuse.com, ICE stated that Mr. Wang was found to have “forged documents” when he entered Miami International Airport; in 1994, an immigration judge ruled that he must return to China.
It appears that Mr. Wang did not leave the country but instead came to Owego, New York, in the north, where he opened a Chinese restaurant named Kam Fung. Like most Chinese restaurant owners in the U.S., Mr. Wang is busy in the kitchen every day, while his wife manages the front desk, serving dishes like General Tso’s chicken and egg rolls to customers. Their two daughters grew up in the restaurant and went to college.
On June 16th, when Mr. Wang went to the designated place to apply for a green card, he was detained by ICE officials. His current detention status is uncertain. His family stated on the webpage that he wishes to be released on bail as soon as possible, so they need to pay a bail bond, but the exact amount is not clear yet.
“He has exhausted all legal remedies and there are no longer any legal recourse available to him,” an ICE spokesperson responded to Syracuse.com, “He has failed to self-deport for over thirty years and was arrested by ICE on June 16, 2025.”
ICE also mentioned that the U.S. government has offered $1,000 and a free flight to illegal immigrants, allowing them to self-deport, or they can return legally in the future. Otherwise, the only option is to be arrested and deported.
When our reporter called Mr. Wang’s restaurant, the woman who answered said they did not want to be interviewed. Even though they claimed they did not need help, the family openly launched the fundraising campaign on the website, stating that “the event aims to raise funds for Mr. Roger’s release, help him pay legal fees, and compensate for the business losses caused by his absence.”
“Roger has been registered with ICE since 2012 and has met all of ICE’s requirements. According to ICE’s arrangement, Roger was supposed to get a green card after 12 years of monitoring,” the GoFundMe page stated, also mentioning that Mr. Wang is an active member of the local church and volunteers weekly, “delivering meals to home-isolated individuals while operating his restaurant. Many people know and love him because of his kindness and compassion.”