Undocumented immigrant arrested after Durham Sanctuary Church

After spending almost a year in a Durham church, an undocumented man was arrested Friday by immigration officers while he was leaving the church to go to an appointment with US citizenship and immigration services in Morrisville.

Samuel Oliver-Bruno, 47, lives in the basement of the United Methodist Church CityWell for 11 months, while he is demanding that his deportation to Mexico be postponed. Churches are one of the few places where US immigration and customs do not make arrests.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services have asked Oliver-Bruno to appear in person to provide fingerprints, a necessary step for his petition, according to a press release from Alerta Migratoria, a defense organization Immigrant Rights of North Carolina.

Oliver-Bruno was accompanied by religious leaders, family members and other supporters on Friday morning. He was arrested by immigration authorities inside the USCIS office.

At the request of The News & Observer, why Oliver-Bruno was arrested, ICE spokesman Bryan Cox said in an email:

"Mr. Oliver-Bruno is a recognized criminal who has benefited from all the judicial procedures provided by federal law, has no pending remedy or legal basis to stay in the United States."

USCIS did not comment on Oliver-Bruno's case.

"But it's important to note that the agency does not make an appointment in our application support centers for a candidate who does not have a pending immigration application," said USCIS spokesman Michael Bars in a statement.

"USCIS is committed to handling all inquiries, requests and queries fairly, efficiently and on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they meet all the standards required by applicable law, policies and regulations."

In a joint statement issued late Friday, representatives David Price and G.K. Butterfield accused USCIS and ICE of coordinating the arrest.

"It appears that ICE acted in concert with USCIS officials, who asked Oliver-Bruno to appear in front of local USCIS offices to discuss his delayed deportation."

"He was then apprehended by plainclothes ICE agents when entering the building. At best, Mr. Oliver-Bruno faced a dilemma with no tomorrow. at worst, he was trapped. It is clear that while Mr. Oliver-Bruno was attempting to comply with the law as part of his legal petition, ICE coordinated with USCIS to target him upon his departure from the United Methodist Church City Well. "

ICE has agreed to keep Oliver-Bruno in a detention center in the country until his case is judged, the statement said.

"Even if it means that he will not be immediately deported, we remain determined to fight for his release."

The scene Friday

A crowd of sympathizers gathered in front of the office shortly before 9 pm Friday morning to pray for Oliver-Bruno. CityWell's pastor, Cleve May, told the gathered people that he hoped the appointment would be a simple step in following the due process for Oliver-Bruno's deferred share petition.

"This is an integral part of this process on behalf of the USCIS and we therefore ask our government to respect someone's attempts to follow the process," May told the crowd before the meeting. enter the building with Oliver-Bruno and his legal team.

"Your presence here is very helpful in demonstrating the support of the community and the fact that should any violation of this due process occur, it would not remain without witnesses and would not take place until the community claims justice.

Oliver-Bruno entered the building with May and his legal team while the rest of his supporters were waiting outside the building. Through the glass doors of the building, supporters and journalists saw Oliver-Bruno struggling, his son and immigration officers.

Oliver-Bruno was arrested, taken out by a back door and put in a van, which was then surrounded by his supporters. Some blocked the van for about two hours, singing songs of worship and praying. Finally, the Morrisville police and Wake Sheriff's Office arrested those blocking the van, including May, after several scatter warnings.

Oliver-Bruno's son, Daniel Oliver Perez, an American citizen, was arrested in the parking lot after approaching the van to bid farewell to his father. The Morrisville police accused him of assaulting a government agent.

The Morrisville Police Department received a call at 9:15 am about a crowd preventing ICE from transporting a person arrested, the agency said in a press release. The police department confirmed that he had confirmed that ICE had a federal arrest warrant against Oliver-Bruno and that the agency had not contributed to his arrest. The police department arrested 27 people in the crowd ordered to disperse.

"The Morrisville Police Service was not aware of Mr. Oliver-Bruno's arrest plans. Anyone with questions about the first arrest is asked to contact the US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Security. "

Congress support

Virdiana Martinez, director of Alerta Migratoria, said that Oliver-Bruno knew that he was at risk leaving the church and an even greater risk when entering an immigration office. so that his petition is examined.

Oliver-Bruno is one of six immigrant statesmen who lives in church properties to avoid imminent deportation and save time to delay it. These churches are called "sanctuary churches" and are part of a growing national movement based on faith. In general, ICE does not stop undocumented migrants in churches, schools and hospitals, according to a self-imposed internal policy established in 2012.

"By leaving the church and entering these (immigration) offices, they are essentially exposing themselves to the danger of making this request," Martinez said.

Alerta Migratoria makes regular visits to Washington, DC to advocate on behalf of the six immigrants and gain support from their respective Congress members.

Representatives David Price and G.K. Butterfield, the two Democrats, co-signed a letter of appeal asking USCIS to grant prosecutorial discretion in Oliver-Bruno's case.

"We strongly believe that Mr. Oliver-Bruno is someone who deserves a deferred action," says the letter, which was signed on Nov. 1.

Since he's moved into the church, Oliver-Bruno has stopped working in construction. He is the sole financial supporter of his wife, Julia Perez Pacheco, and his son, Daniel. His wife has lupus and depends financially on her husband to pay for the treatment.

"Mr. Oliver-Bruno is the only source of income for his family and his removal from the country would mean that his wife would not be able to receive the medical care she desperately needs …" says the letter.

"Daniel is 19 years old and his ability to improve by pursuing his university studies depends on the financial and emotional support of his father, which Mr. Oliver-Bruno could not provide if he was fired from the country."

Martinez also spoke with US Republican Senator Thom Tillis' office to get his support for Oliver-Bruno and the other five.

Stopped at the border

Oliver-Bruno left Mexico in 1994 to live in Greenville. His wife followed him in 1996 with a work permit.

It is unclear when Oliver-Bruno returned to Mexico, but in May 2014 he again tried to cross the border with the United States to join his wife who was undergoing an open-heart surgery.

According to ICE's statement, he was then arrested at the border for attempting to enter the country with fraudulent documents. The US government has only allowed him to enter the country for federal criminal prosecution. He was found guilty by the US District Court of the Western District.

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"Since he had served his sentence in a federal institution, he had been released from criminal custody in June 2014, he was placed under the custody of that agency at that time and could be returned at that time. However, due to various calls and acts of discretion, it has not been withdrawn, "said Cox, spokesman for the ICE.

This discretion, however, ended last year. When the agency informed him of this, Oliver-Bruno set up shop in the church to save time.