Artessence Coffee Shop in Jacksonville to be sold as co-owner faces deportation

The family of Artessence Coffee Shop co-owner Diana Marcela Mejia plans to sell the beloved cafe amid her looming deportation.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As deportation looms for the co-owner of a popular Jacksonville coffeehouse taken into ICE custody, her family says they are selling the art-themed cafe that’s become a community gathering place since its opening.

Diana Marcela Mejia remains hospitalized following a mental health crisis that led to her detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month, her stepdaughter, Sharis Jinete, told the Times-Union.

Mejia and her husband, Jonatan Jinete, own Artessence, a coffeehouse they opened three years ago at 1505 N. Main St. in historic Springfield near downtown Jacksonville.

A Colombian immigrant awaiting permanent U.S. residency, Mejia is scheduled for a “master calendar hearing” Sept. 11 in U.S. immigration court at Pompano Beach, according to ICE online court records.

The administrative hearing is the first step in the deportation process under federal law.

ICE detained Mejia after she suffered what her family describes as a severe panic attack and possible psychotic break, resulting in St. Johns County sheriff’s deputies arresting her Aug. 2 on misdemeanor charges of resisting an officer without violence and trespassing.

As the family’s concern for Mejia’s mental stability and physical health mounts, Jinete said they believe it’s inevitable that Mejia will be sent back to Colombia. But they also fear the worst possibility, that she would be sent to another country.

“We are fighting. We’re trying to get a bond for her, but it’s been really hard … because she’s right now in a hospital and not in a detention center, and that means the judge can’t see her,” she said quietly as customers trickled into Artessence for their morning coffee or a breakfast pastry on Aug. 31.

Jinete said they’re also exploring the possibility of an attorney obtaining legal guardianship of Mejia due to her mental state, which might be a factor that could affect deportation.

“At this point, we just don’t want to fight anymore. We’re just concerned about her mental health,” Jinete said.

She emphasized that her stepmother is legally in the United States and has the necessary documentation from when the family emigrated to the U.S. in December 2021, seeking political asylum.

Jinete and her sister, Gabriela Mejia, previously told the Times-Union that the elder Mejia — prior to her arrest — had been experiencing worsening panic attacks and hallucinations because she was fearful about ICE grabbing immigrants off the street, and deporting them.

Not guilty pleas were entered for Mejia on the St. Johns County charges that evolved from a disturbance outside a Dollar General store in St. Augustine.

Mejia is listed on the Sept. 16 docket for a pretrial hearing in the case, St. Johns County online court records showed Aug. 31.

She has legal representation in both the ICE detention and St. Johns County cases, according to the family and court records.

“We are doing what we can because we can’t let her be there for a long time, for more time, because she is already getting worse,” Jinete said of Mejia.

‘American dream’ becomes family nightmare

Jinete said the family has spoken briefly by phone to Mejia twice since she’s been detained. About five minutes each, those calls came from Mejia in the hospital. Incoming calls to patients aren’t allowed there, she said.

“Sometimes she sounds better, but sometimes, she’s not,” Jinete said of her stepmother’s mental state, which doesn’t seem to be improving and might even be getting worse. “At this point, we’re just concerned about how traumatizing and how [bad] things can be for her in her life.”

Jinete confirmed the family plans to sell Artessence and move back to Colombia because of Mejia’s expected deportation.

“We still don’t know when it [coffeehouse] will close because at this point we are stuck because of [Mejia’s hospitalization], but we know the lawyer is doing everything she can,” she said, noting Artessence will remain open at least through Sept. 10.

Although it might not be safe for them to return to Colombia, she said it might be their only option. It’s all been devastating, especially for her dad, she said.

“It’s crazy. They came here with their savings. I thought that was the way the American dream was supposed to be: work hard, open a business, be part of the community,” Jinete said of the life her dad and Mejia built since emigrating to the United States.

The couple instilled the values of working hard, paying your taxes, being kind, and giving back to your community in each of their children, she said.

It’s heart-wrenching, she said that her dad and stepmother now face the prospect of losing everything they’ve built.

“Now, they’ll have to start over again, and in a country that is not safe for us anymore,” Jinete said.

Support unwavering for Artessence coffeehouse in close-knit Springfield

Grassroots support for Mejia and Artessence is strong in Springfield, where the coffeehouse is known for more than its Colombian coffee, fresh pastries, tea and sandwiches.

Customers say Mejia always had a smile, if not a hug, for everyone who came into the cafe, which hosts community-oriented events such as art classes and creative writing workshops as well as Spanish and English language learning nights.

Mejia’s detention has sparked outrage among customers and strangers alike.

Brightly colored, homemade paper hearts — bearing prayers, words of encouragement and offering hope she will come back soon — cover the front windows of the coffeehouse.

“Diana, you are the heart and soul of this place. Can’t wait to have you back …,” is written on a lavender-colored heart. A red one nearby reads “We stand with Diana Bring her home Now.” And a sunshine yellow heart says, “Thank you for creating a safe space of love here.”

Rallied by social media posts, longtime and new customers have left generous tips — at least one as much as $50 — to help the family offset expenses resulting from Mejia’s detention.

Early on Aug. 9, at least 100 people came to Artessence in a show of support for Mejia and her family. Many stood patiently in a line stretching out the front door and down the block for up to an hour just to buy a cup of coffee or pastry so they could leave a generous tip.

Several longtime customers later told the Times-Union that Mejia and her family are caring, hard-working people who go out of their way to make people feel welcome as well as help strangers, including the homeless.

Jinete says the family is grateful for well-wishes and the community’s support, which helps ease the lingering fear and uncertainty surrounding the situation.

They are also relying on their faith in God, she said.

“If this is happening, we are going to accept it the way it is. Maybe we don’t understand it right now, but we will understand it in the future,” Jinete said.

Editor’s Note: This story was first published by our news partners, The Florida Times-Union.