SAN DIEGO — A federal immigration judge on Tuesday delayed the case of Norberto Ambrosio Sr., owner of Just Peachy Market in Leucadia, pushing his next hearing to the spring.
Ambrosio Sr. now has until May 19, 2026 — the date of his next appearance — to file an updated cancellation-of-removal application.
After the hearing, Ambrosio Sr. said he felt “relief to have a few more months until the new hearing.”
“We got good news as far as we get to have him for the holidays, the six months give or take,” said Norberto Ambrosio Jr., known as “Junior,” of his father. “We appreciate the support – everybody getting together, writing letters.”
Junior was then interrupted by a passing car’s honk of support and cheers from the dozens who waited outside to hear the outcome.
A group of supporters, including Ambrosio’s family and customers of Just Peachy Market, gathered at 7:30 a.m. outside the federal courthouse — many of the more than 50 supporters held signs urging that Ambrosio remain in Encinitas.
Alice Kres of Leucadia said she frequents Just Peachy Market and called Ambrosio Sr. “an amazing human.”
“He’s the story of our country and we’re just here to support him and his family so that he can get through immigration and get to stay here and stop the insanity of what’s going on,” Kres said.
Aaron Hebshi, also of Leucadia, said he enjoys seeing the “smiling faces” running the market and appreciates the “new exciting stuff” that comes from their partnerships with nearby farms.
Father Scott Santarosa, a pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Diego, offered support through a program called Faithful Accomplishment In Trust and Hope, or F.A.I.T.H., which helps families navigate immigration proceedings.
Santarosa said he wished he could “bottle up” the love expressed outside the courthouse because it reflects what immigrants mean to local communities.
“I wish everybody had this kind of support,” he told Coast News. “Probably everyone has this many people that love and support them, but it’s hard to galvanize.”
Santarosa then led the supporters in a prayer for Ambrosio Sr.
“No estás solo (You are not alone),” he repeated.
He also prayed the rosary outside Courtroom 4 while Ambrosio waited inside for his case to be heard.
Several cases were heard before Ambrosio Sr.’s case. The hallway outside Judge Amelia Anderson’s courtroom at times held as many as 13 people waiting for others to exit and free up seats, which were unavailable at the start.
Each opening of the brown metal door prompted an exchange of people waiting for hearings, attorneys, journalists, F.A.I.T.H. members and others following specific cases.
A clerk told The Coast News that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services does not release case documentation to third parties, and that only the attorney or family of the person appearing can provide such information.
A spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review within the U.S. Department of Justice said in an email that The Coast News would need to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain immigration court records.
The request has been submitted and is awaiting a response.
The spokesperson said in the email that the regulations exist to “provide certain confidentiality protections.”
Judge Anderson said in court that Ambrosio Sr.’s removal case had been administratively closed in 2019, but was later reopened, leading to Tuesday’s hearing.
Sofia Ambrosio, Ambrosio Sr.’s daughter, said the administrative closure should have been the end of her father’s citizenship case. She said he has a Social Security card and a work permit, and noted that many other previously closed cases have also recently been reopened.
The Ambrosio family thanked all those who came to show support, saying, “it means a lot.”
