Illegal Alien arrested by ICE after living in Durham church for nearly a year

DURHAM – The United States is a nation of laws, or at least that is how it was designed. The Left, though, often approaches the law as a mere hindrance to their preferred social justice campaigns. Such is the case with Samuel Oliver-Bruno, an illegal alien that has avoided deportation by living in ‘sanctuary’ at Durham church for 11 months.

Oliver-Bruno was arrested by ICE when he left the church to attend an appointment with immigration officials, and now the Left is crying foul because…the law was enforced.

“Samuel Oliver-Bruno, 47, has been living in the basement of CityWell United Methodist Church for 11 months while he petitions to have his deportation to Mexico delayed. Churches are one of the few places where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not make arrests.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requested Oliver-Bruno to appear in person to provide fingerprints, a necessary step for his petition, according to a news release from Alerta Migratoria, an immigrants rights advocacy organization in North Carolina.

Oliver-Bruno was accompanied by faith leaders, family members and other supporters Friday morning. He was arrested by immigration authorities inside the USCIS office.

When asked by The News & Observer why Oliver-Bruno was arrested, ICE spokesperson Bryan Cox said in an email:

“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.”

The illegal alien was accompanied by a social justice mob that has turned him into a cause celebre’ for their open borders agenda. When he was put in the car, they surrounded the vehicle and held hands to impede the officers, resulting in more than two dozen people being arrested.

The fact that the News & Observer finds it necessary to ask WHY the illegal alien was arrested is comical, or concerning. He was arrested for being in this country illegally – WHY ELSE WOULD ICE ARREST SOMEONE?

But the nonsense from Olver-Bruno’s “supporters” is not in short supply.

“In a joint statement released Friday evening, Reps. David Price and G.K. Butterfield accused USCIS and ICE of coordinating the arrest.

“It appears ICE has acted in concert with officials at USCIS, who instructed Mr. Oliver-Bruno to appear at local USCIS offices to discuss his deferred deportation.”

“He was then apprehended by plainclothes ICE agents upon entering the building. At best, Mr. Oliver-Bruno was presented with a catch-22 dilemma; at worst, he was entrapped. It’s clear that while Mr. Oliver-Bruno was attempting to follow the law in pursuit of his legal petition, ICE coordinated with USCIS to target him upon his leaving the City Well United Methodist Church.””

Entrapment? The definition of entrapment is the action of tricking someone into committing a crime in order to secure their prosecution. ICE or USCIS did no such thing, unless they tricked him into illegally entering the United States in the first place. Oliver-Bruno’s is already in violation of federal law, so their is no need to entrap him. What the federal authorities did was merely enforce the law.

Ah, but  ‘it’s clear that Mr. Oliver-Bruno was attempting to follow the law’ the liberal congressmen state. Really? If he was so intent upon following the law, why has he been breaking it for the better part of the last year?

In the end, though, the social justice mob was ready to exploit the arrest for the purpose of protest.

“Oliver-Bruno was arrested and taken out a back door and put into a van, which was then surrounded by his supporters. Some blockaded the van for about two hours singing worship songs and praying. Eventually, Morrisville Police and the Wake Sheriff’s Office arrested those blockading the van, including May, after multiple warnings to disperse.

Oliver-Bruno’s son, Daniel Oliver Perez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in the parking lot after approaching the van to say goodbye to his father. He was charged by Morrisville police with assault on a government officer.”

All of this because immigration laws are being enforced. Oliver-Bruno may be a decent person, with wholesome reasons he wishes to remain in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean he gets to flout federal law. It is an insult to every immigrant who comes here via the normal process and respects the laws of the land in the process.

Though Oliver-Bruno has been arrested, the story is far from over. There are other illegal aliens taking refuge inside this particular church, and a steady stream of social justice warriors intent on disrupting law enforcement in order to push their narrative. Expect more.

Read more about how Oliver-Bruno illegal entered the country and evaded authorities until hiding in a church here.