As far as Frank Shemitraku is concerned, his nephew is an honest person and not a criminal.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Friday that Oak Park barber Besnik “Nik” Shembitrasi, Shemitraku’s nephew, was apprehended May 17 and claimed that he entered the country illegally from Albania in 2005.
Shemitraku said Tuesday it’s important to remember what Albania was like in the early 2000s, after the fall of Communism.
“They promise, ‘I get visa for you,’” Shemitraku said. “There were a lot of guys like that. But the visa was false. It wasn’t his fault. He paid the money to come to the U.S.”
According to a statement from ICE public affairs:
“On May 17, 2026, ICE arrested Besnik Shemitrasi (sic.), a criminal illegal alien from Albania, in Chicago. His criminal history includes fraud. This criminal illegally entered the U.S. on March 16, 2005, in Miami, using a fraudulent Italian passport.
“Shemitrasi (sic.) was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on May 5, 2008, but failed to depart the country, in violation of our laws. This criminal illegal alien will remain in ICE custody, pending his removal from the U.S.”
The statement added that under President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, “criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
ICE previously confirmed that Shembitrasi is currently in immigration hold in Brazil, Indiana, in Clay County, just east of Terre Haute and about 150 miles southwest of Indianapolis. After he was apprehended by ICE, he was transported to its Broadview facility before being moved to Indiana.
Wednesday Journal requests for an interview or statement from Shembitrasi’s attorneys at Chicago-based Davidson & Seseri were declined.
But Shemitraku said that his nephew “was victimized,” though not by organized crime elements. It was instead people who saw an opportunity to make money, perhaps as much as $20,000 in U.S. dollars to acquire a fake passport.
“It was separate people to do this kind of work,” he said, confirming that Shembitrasi did stop in Miami when he first came to the country. “He worked hard and paid the money. He was victimized by criminals.”
About seven years ago, Shemitraku purchased his Oak Park barber shop at 416 S. Oak Park Ave., which complements his 100-year-old location in Elmwood Park. Shembitrasi started working for him shortly afterward, following acquiring his licensure in cosmetology.
Since then, he said, Shembitrasi has put forth effort in the U.S., often working two jobs. He got married, and he and his wife – a U.S. citizen – had a daughter who is now eight years old. They purchased a home in Elmwood Park about a year ago.
“I say you can’t call this guy (a) criminal,” Shemitraku said. “You go someplace in trust … ‘I want to go to United States.’ Someone says, ‘Don’t worry.’
“You’re talking about 20 years ago. There was government, but they couldn’t control this kind of people. Today it’s different.”
