Cleon Ortille Williams, the 62-year-old owner of Uncle Lou’s Entertainment Hall (Instagram) in Mills 50, was detained Saturday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is currently held at Orange County jail under an immigration hold with no criminal charges.
Williams was booked into the Orange County Corrections Facility Saturday night, according to jail records. A planned show that evening at Uncle Lou’s was abruptly moved to Grumpy’s next door. Video circulating on social media shows Williams being taken into custody at the venue, with apparent ICE agents telling patrons to leave the bar.
State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani wrote on Facebook Sunday that Williams is “in the Orange County Jail with no criminal charges and an ICE hold. This likely means he will be transported to an ICE facility soon.” She described him as “a major figure in the Orlando indie music scene.”
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost said he has connected with Williams’ daughter and is working with Eskamani and Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott. Frost said he has reached out to ICE to determine next steps.
Williams, who is from Jamaica, opened Uncle Lou’s on Michigan Avenue in 2005, then moved to Mills Avenue in 2006. The underground venue has served as a proving ground for local and touring punk, hardcore, and experimental bands for nearly two decades. The small venue, located at 1016 N Mills Avenue [GMap], has become known for its “anything goes” spirit and has been a launch pad for countless local acts in Orlando’s music scene. Lou’s had been in the news recently for a lawsuit over repeated noise ordinance complaints from neighbors.
Community members and musicians have been posting on social media seeking answers about Williams’ status and expressing support for the venue owner. A GoFundMe has been launched and had rasied $16,162 at the time of this post.
The status of his citizenship and the reason for being held by ICE have not been made public at this time.
