EASTON — A beloved Easton minister was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, taken to Salisbury and is now at the Baltimore ICE detention center where he is awaiting his next transfer, according to his daughter.
Honduran born Daniel Fuentes Espinal has lived in the United States since 2001 and has served as the minister of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesús Te Ama since 2015. According to his daughter, Clarissa Fuentes Diaz, Espinal was arrested by ICE agents early Monday morning after stopping by Lowe’s to pick up material for a job site.
“He didn’t see anything suspicious. He put the material in the car, but then when he went to McDonald’s to get something for breakfast, he saw a car behind him that looked kind of weird,†Cordero said.
ICE agents followed Espinal to the Easton pool, ultimately arresting him on Route 322. He was taken to the Salisbury holding center. “He preached to them all the way to Salisbury,†Diaz said.
From 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Espinal’s family had no clue of his whereabouts. “We were about to do a report on a missing person because we didn’t find out until almost 12:30,†Diaz said.
Diaz said Espinal had no criminal record.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, immigration arrests have doubled in the state of Maryland. More than 600 immigrants arrested during this time had no former criminal charges, according to the Deportation Data Project.
Espinal has three children and a large extended family that he cares for, Diaz said. Tred Avon Strategies principal Len Foxwell referred to him as a pillar of the community.
Earlier this month, Espinal spoke at Foxwell’s son Darren’s funeral. Diaz said Darren and her brother were best friends and his death has been hard on Espinal and the family.
Diaz said she has received over 10 character letters on her father’s behalf since his arrest yesterday morning, including one from Foxwell.
“It wasn’t until I got to know him, however, that I saw how he honors and embodies the values of Christ in every aspect of his life,†Foxwell wrote in a letter to ICE.
Espinal’s family has tried obtaining citizenship legally for years, but due to backlogs and expenses, Espinal remained undocumented, Diaz said.
“He’s contributing to this country, and we’re just trying to do it the right way,†Diaz said. “You know, unfortunately, with everything going on, everyone’s a criminal apparently, but we’re just hoping for the best and just to get him out of there.â€
Diaz said each phone call Espinal makes from the detention center costs $50 for a 20-minute call and bond amounts for release currently range from $10,000 to $15,000.
“I’ve heard stories that people say, ‘But why didn’t you do it the legal way? Why aren’t you doing it the legal way?’ It’s not easy,†Diaz said. “You know, if you’re not in that person’s shoes, you shouldn’t be judging, and you shouldn’t be criticizing.â€
Espinal’s family is relying on their faith and are hopeful that he will return home.
ICE could not be reached via phone to comment on this incident.
(2) comments
Many have waited patiently for years to become a Citizen. Illegals can be great people, but if they are here illegally then it's not ICE's fault that he must leave the country. America's is not making his life harder; it's the illegals themselves. USA is in serious debt, so no more freebies, Also American Vets FIRST!
Interesting that your article waited until almost the end to mention he was not a legal resident however one assumes in this day and age of biased, left-leaning reporting that this was the case from the beginning.
The United States issues over 1 million green cards annually. The inability to obtain one is not as difficult as the family claims.
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