Mexican migrant Samuel Olivies Bruno and his family. Image: Alerta Migratoria NC. All rights reserved.
Samuel Oliver-Bruno left sanctuary at CityWell United Methodist Church in Durham North Carolina on a chilly morning the day after Thanksgiving for a scheduled biometrics screening at the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service) office in the adjacent community of Morrisville.
A biometrics appointment is supposed to be a routine event wherein an immigrant formally provides fingerprints for a background check as part of their residency process. Samuel had been living for the past 11 months in the church as he attempted to negotiate with the federal government and be allowed to continue living in the United States, where he has resided for 22 years with his now-ailing wife and 19 year-old son.
