A Maryland pastor who has lived in the United States for more than two decades was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying his visa, prompting protests from his community and calls for his release.
Daniel Fuentes Espinal, 54, was taken into custody on July 21 while driving to work in Easton, Maryland. ICE said he entered the country legally in 2001 on a six-month visa but never left.
“It is a federal crime to overstay the authorized period of time granted under a visitor’s visa,” the agency said in a statement to Newsweek.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has ordered the government to carry out what Republicans call the largest deportation operation in United States history.
In addition to people living in the country without legal status, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained. Newsweek has documented multiple cases involving green-card holders and applicants who were swept up in ICE raids.
What To Know
Fuentes Espinal, a Honduran citizen and father of three, has spent 15 years serving as a volunteer pastor at Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama, or Church of the Nazarene Jesus Loves You, in Easton. Known for offering food, shelter and clothing to those in need, friends describe him as a man who “never expects anything in return.”
“Pastor Fuentes Espinal is a beloved pillar of the Easton community, known for giving shelter to those who need a place to sleep and for providing food and clothing to people at their most vulnerable,” family friend Len Foxwell wrote in a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $45,000 to help the family and cover legal fees.
Fuentes Espinal was first taken to a detention facility in Salisbury, Maryland, then transferred to Baltimore before being moved to the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana.
The pastor’s family said he has been trying for years to obtain a green card, spending thousands of dollars and navigating what they called a “bureaucratic nightmare.”
“They have felt for years as if the deck is stacked against them, despite having spent a considerable amount of money and time and effort” seeking permanent residency, Foxwell told CBS News.
Supporters have mobilized quickly. Members of the Easton community gathered Friday carrying signs and American flags demanding his release.
“It’s devastated our community. It’s shocked our community,” Foxwell told CBS Baltimore.
Maryland lawmakers have joined calls for his release. In a letter condemning his detention, Representatives Sarah Elfreth and Glenn Ivey described Fuentes Espinal as “a beloved pillar” of Easton and said that “his arrest and detention by ICE does nothing to further your stated goals of making America safer.”
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said his team is also working with Fuentes Espinal’s family.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Republican Representative Andy Harris of Maryland, in a statement to CBS News: “Congressman Harris believes due process within the immigration enforcement system is important and that facts should be clear before making any further public comment.”
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told CBS News: “The Trump administration is snatching up anyone they can find as they pursue their mass deportation agenda.”
Family friend Len Foxwell told CNN: “This is a family man, a man of faith, a small businessman who was literally just going to work to put in a full day’s work to feed his family.”
What Happens Next
Fuentes Espinal is awaiting a bond hearing. His family says they will continue to fight for his release.
https://www.newsweek.com/pastor-us-over-20-years-held-ice-after-failing-obtain-green-card-2107091