Detroit Church Shelters Albanian Man From ICE Deportation

DETROIT, MI – A downtown Detroit church will offer sanctuary and take in an undocumented immigrant and his family from Albania to prevent him from being deported next week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The Central United Methodist Church posted to Facebook on Tuesday that it has declared sanctuary for Ded Rranxburgaj, an immigrant facing deportation. The church also is granting sanctuary for his wife, Flora Rranxburgaj, and two sons.

"Flora fell ill with Multiple Sclerosis 11 years ago, and Ded is her sole caregiver," the church said in the post. The "Sanctuary Network seeks to stop his deportation so he may continue to care for Flora."

Rranxburgaj, a cook at a local restaurant, came to the United States 17 years ago, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press. He has been trying to get legal status for years, and has sought asylum in the United States because of government changes in his home country. He is scheduled to be deported on Jan. 25, according to the newspaper.

The law, however, is vague on how government agencies handle "sanctuary" claims. According to ICE website, the federal agency has a "sensitive locations policy," under which, enforcement activities at certain facilities "should generally be avoided, and require either prior approval from an appropriate supervisory official or exigent circumstances necessitating immediate action."

According to the report by the Free Press, Rranxburgaj said he has no criminal history.

Earlier this week, another illegal immigrant, Jorge Garcia, a 39-year-old father who came to the United States from Mexico as a 10-year-old boy, lost his attempts to stay. ICE agents deported him back to Mexico on Monday after he and his family shared a tearful goodbye.

The actions by ICE are part of a stricter immigration enforcement agenda under the Trump administration. The round-ups of people who came to the United States illegally have been a common occurrence across the nation.

File photo by Paul Sancya/AP Photo