An illegal immigrant from Mexico who sought sanctuary in a North Carolina church for almost a year was arrested Friday by federal immigration officers, according to multiple reports.
Samuel Oliver-Bruno, 47, had been living in Durham’s CityWell United Methodist Church before leaving the safety of the building to see U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials, the News & Observer reported Friday. He is petitioning to delay his deportation back to Mexico and was required to give authorities a copy of his fingerprints as part of the process. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents do not normally detain people in churches, schools, or hospitals, pursuant to an internal 2012 policy.
ICE spokesman Bryan Cox told ABC News Oliver-Bruno was detained by plainclothes officers in the USCIS facility through a “targeted enforcement action.”
“Mr. Oliver-Bruno is a convicted criminal who has received all appropriate legal process under federal law, has no outstanding appeals, and has no legal basis to remain in the U.S.,” Cox said.
USCIS spokesperson Michael Bars, however, told the News & Observer the agency does not schedule appointments “for an applicant who does not have a pending immigration benefit request.”
ICE is set to keep Oliver-Bruno in custody in the U.S. until his case is decided.
Oliver-Bruno was convicted by a federal court in 2014 of trying to enter into the country with fraudulent paperwork, but had not been deported because of appeals and acts of discretion. He has a wife with lupus and a 19-year-old son, who is an American citizen.
