ICE Nabs Undocumented Man. How Did 27 Get Arrested?

Samuel Oliver-Bruno, 47, thought he was going to USCIS office for fingerprinting
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 24, 2018 1:30 PM CST
Updated Nov 24, 2018 2:00 PM CST
Undocumented Man, 27 Supporters All Arrested
In this Dec. 13, 2017, photo Samuel Oliver-Bruno glances back before preparing for interviews after the press conference held at CityWell United Methodist Church in Durham, NC.   (Casey Toth/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

An undocumented man's arrest triggered a public demonstration by over two dozen supporters who were hauled off by the cops, ABC 11 reports. Samuel Oliver-Bruno, 47, was arrested Friday by ICE at a Morrisville, NC, office for US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Oliver-Bruno apparently believed he was there to provide fingerprints as part of his petition for deferred deportation, but ICE was ready: "The plainclothes ICE officers forced Samuel into a van in the rear of the office, where supporters who were waiting outside the office rushed to block the vehicle," says the immigrants-rights group Alerta Migratoria. When supporters refused to budge, 27 were arrested, including Oliver-Bruno's 19-year-old son Daniel Oliver-Perez.

Some backstory: Oliver-Bruno moved from Mexico to Greenville in 1994 and was arrested when he tried re-entering the US in 2014 for his wife's open-heart surgery, per the News & Observer. He was convicted and slated to be removed but for "a variety of appeals and acts of discretion," says ICE. Eleven months ago he moved into a church, knowing ICE doesn't arrest people in churches, hospitals, or schools—but put himself at risk by entering the USCIS office. "Samuel's sudden and inappropriate arrest in the middle of the Thanksgiving season reflects the callous and cruel approach we've come to expect from the Trump administration," say two NC Congress members calling for his release. ICE says Oliver-Bruno can stay in US detention while his case is adjudicated. (Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's migration comments are causing a stir.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X