A longtime Orlando music stalwart was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement over the weekend, sparking an outcry among progressive politicians and Orlando’s indie music community.
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Cleon Ortille “Uncle Lou” Williams, born in Jamaica and the owner of the Mills 50 concert venue Uncle Lou’s Entertainment Hall, was arrested on Saturday and is being kept at the Orange County jail under an immigration hold. There appear to be questions about his visa status, but the details as well as the circumstances of his arrest are unclear.
Williams’ venue, described lovingly by many as a quintessential dive bar, helped launch the careers of hundreds of local bands.
“He’s someone that you think will [always] be there,” Bailey Blankenship said, member of the rock band Kidney Boy who debuted at Uncle Lou’s in December. “I was taken aback, he’s a pillar of the community.”
Videos circulating on social media show what appear to be law enforcement agents wearing bulletproof vests walking into Williams’ venue and detaining him.
In a statement, the Orlando Police Department said they assisted the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, or ABT, regarding possible alcohol ordinance violations at both Uncle Lou’s and its Mills Ave. neighbor, Grumpy’s Underground Eatery and Lounge,
“During the joint operation, ABT was the lead agency on the investigation and enforcement related to alcohol licensing violations,” the agency said. “As part of the operation, ABT undercover agents conducted investigative purchases and inspections at both establishments.”
OPD said they transported Williams to the jail, where an ICE detainer was later placed on him due to an expired visa.
It was unclear on what charge, if any, Williams was initially arrested. Police referred any questions about alcohol licensing violations or related charges to ABT or ICE. Neither agency responded to requests for comment Monday.
As of Monday afternoon, two days after Williams was arrested, criminal charges have not appeared in jail records or court filings.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani said she’s concerned Williams may have not been able to present an ID, an issue often used by ICE to detain undocumented immigrants. Eskamani said she is trying to connect him with an immigration attorney.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was part of a tour of the jail by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, said Monday he spoke privately with Williams. “He told me to give a message to the community: He loves everybody, he wants to get back to helping the arts and culture of Central Florida,” Frost said. “He said he’s trying to keep his hopes up,”
Williams’ detention comes as Orange County is attempting to transition to a new type of agreement with ICE that would restrict the number of people detained at the jail without criminal charges and also shorten their stay.
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Last month, Orange County commissioners unanimously decided to move forward with a Basic Ordering Agreement, or BOA, under which only immigrants detained with criminal charges and arrested within the county’s boundaries could be housed by ICE at the jail, for only 48 hours after charges are resolved.
Andrew Hess, a local workers compensation attorney, has been friends with Williams for over 20 years and visited him in jail on Sunday after learning about his “gut-punching” arrest.
“He’s devastated and terrified about what this will mean for his life, his family, his friends, his community,” Hess said. “I hated seeing him like that because he is such a pure light and joy. It’s rare to ever see him without a big old smile on his face.”
Williams’ arrest leaves a void among the local indie music scene, Eskamani said. Musicians are stuck in limbo looking for other venues that will take newly-formed acts.
“We’re losing independent venue space all the time across the country, from the ripple effect of COVID-19 to companies like Ticketmaster and others that operate these really unfriendly consumer policies that are monopolistic,” Eskamani said. “To have venues and owners that are willing to open their doors … it’s not something we take for granted.”
Kidney Boy had booked a performance at Uncle Lou’s later this month, but will likely now cancel it.
“There aren’t a lot of spaces that offer an opportunity for DIY bands in the area,” Blankenship said. “You’re pretty much limited to Uncle Lou’s and Grumpy’s, because everywhere else there’s more a barrier to entry.”
Tom Haney, leader of The Tom Haney Band, said Uncle Lou was one of the only venues that would let up-and-coming bands play for free.
“It’s definitely going to be a hole in the community,” Haney said. “It’s very difficult getting into places as a new band, because places will charge like sometimes a $100 fee plus a percentage of anything you bring in.”
His band, which has been performing together for just one year, has just played at Uncle Lou’s Wednesday.
“We played last week without a hitch,” Haney said. “Lou is just the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet.”
Two separate Go Fund Me fundraisers organized by those who frequented Uncle Lou’s have started collecting donations for Williams’ immigration attorney. Together they have already raised over $28,000.
Staff writer Ryan Gillespie contributed to this report.