Any time Miriam Stone thinks of her older brother, Ernesto Cuevas Enciso, she says she lights up.

But that joy is now dimmed after Cuevas Enciso, a Detroit construction worker, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while heading to a job site in Ypsilanti.

To help, eight Michigan Democratic lawmakers, including state Sen. Stephanie Chang and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, wrote a letter, urging ICE to release him on bond.

"He is not a safety risk and deserves to be home with his wife and young child, not held in detention while awaiting his hearing," the lawmakers said in the Dec. 7 letter.

According to the letter, Cuevas Enciso, 34, and another worker were approached by an unmarked vehicle and later arrested by ICE agents, which Stone says shouldn't have happened. The letter states that Cuevas Enciso was also a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, but he lost that status due to "nonviolent misdemeanor offenses" from more than a decade ago.

"My brother has his valid Michigan state driver's license, and he also carries his work authorization card as well," said Stone.

Stone says Cuevas Enciso arrived in Michigan from Mexico at the age of 3 and grew up in St. Clair Shores. Married to a U.S. citizen, he now lives in Southwest Detroit with their 1-year-old daughter.

"We were so hopeful that maybe they would let him go, because he has his legal permanent residency pending and all his documents on him. But, it was the start of what we call a nightmare," she said.

Stone says what makes it even harder for their family is how close Cuevas Enciso was to citizenship. Records show he has been working toward getting his legal permanent residency since getting married in May 2023.

"Right now, it's happening to my brother, it's happening to our family, but it very much easily will, it can, and it will happen to other families too," said Stone.

As CBS News Detroit was wrapping up the interview with Stone, Cuevas Enciso called from the ICE detention center in Baldwin, Michigan.

Since his detention, dozens of friends and neighbors – both past and present – have rallied around Cuevas Enciso's family, giving him hope during the most difficult time in his life.

"Thank you for the support. I appreciate all the love. I can't wait to go back to my family, hug my wife, and get back on track," Cuevas Enciso said on the phone.

CBS News Detroit reached out to ICE for comment on the case and is waiting to hear back.