The Trump administration has been labelled callous and cruel after an immigrant who sought refuge from deportation in a church was arrested after arriving at an appointment with immigration officials.
Democratic congressmen David Price and GK Butterfield said Mexican national Samuel Oliver-Bruno appeared to have been entrapped by federal officials when he was detained on Friday at an immigration office in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This morning, Samuel Oliver-Bruno was abruptly arrested by ICE agents as he visited local immigration offices to check-in on his status. My full statement with @GKButterfield can be viewed here: https://t.co/4k26pinK2g pic.twitter.com/uEe88Ap6vB
— David E. Price (@RepDavidEPrice) November 24, 2018
The advocacy group Alerta Migratoria NC said Oliver-Bruno went to have fingerprints taken so he could apply to stay in North Carolina with his wife and son.
He spent 11 months in a Durham church to avoid immigration authorities.
North Carolina representatives Mr Price and Mr Butterfield said they will fight to keep Mr Oliver-Bruno with his family and have received assurances from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that he will remain in the US while his case is adjudicated.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here