Community watches for Durham man arrested by ICE

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) –

Supporters gathered the Citywell United Methodist Church on Saturday night to show their support for Samuel Oliver-Bruno, a Durham-based Mexican, arrested on Saturday by ICE.

"Tonight is a place of prayer and lament," said Cleve May, pastor of the United Methodist Church in Citywell, who helped lead the prayer vigil.

Alerta Migratoria NC, a local immigrant defense group, said that plainclothes agents of the ICE group had arrested Oliver-Bruno on Friday morning after the USCIS had asked that he appear in person in order to provide his fingerprints.

"It's something very unexpected, something that this person, Samuel, did to be legally recognized," said Natalie Gonzalez, pastor of the United Methodist Church Citywell, before Saturday's event.

Jose Chicas supports Oliver-Bruno, but could not attend. As Oliver-Bruno until Friday, he receives a sanctuary.

He fled El Salvador in the 1980s because of the war in that country and has resided in the United States for 34 years.

"He has a sick woman who needs him, and he has a son who is a student," Chicas said in describing the situation of Oliver-Bruno.

When we sat down with Chicas, Pastor Isaac Villegas – who was one of the 27 people arrested at yesterday's protest – helped translate our interview.

Chicas told ABC 11 that he had received text from friends asking him to stay indoors after Oliver-Bruno's detention.

"There is a community of people behind them," said Gonzalez.

Proponents of Oliver-Bruno argue that he was still in refuge since church members accompanied him to his appointment.

In a statement, ICE said that the case of Oliver-Bruno had been the subject of numerous calls and that there was no legal basis for staying in the country.