Immigrant wanted by ICE is freed from Detroit church sanctuary

Niraj Warikoo for the Detroit Free Press  provides some good immigration news. It is worth thinking for a second whether we could have expected to any such action by a Department of Justice under President Trump.

After three years in sanctuary in a Detroit church to avoid removal by U.S. immigration authorities, an immigrant from Albania  can now leave the church without immediate risk of removal under an agreement  with the Department of Justice. In January 2018, Ded Rranxburgaj took refuge inside Central United Methodist Church after Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) sought to deport him. Born in Albania, he was undocumented after overstaying a visa to take care of his ailing wife, Flora Rranxburgaj, who has multiple sclerosis.

According to the article, “Rranxburgaj’s case drew support from immigrant advocates, who rallied for him in Detroit as he filed a lawsuit seeking to block his removal. Now, he’s free to travel and live outside the church, according to his attorney George Mann. He’s working on finding an apartment in the Downriver area with a ground-floor entrance that would be accessible for his wife, who uses a wheelchair.”

The pictures with the story show a very happy Rranxburgaj family.

KJ