Neighborhood unites in support of detained foreign pastor amidst intensified enforcement actions
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's State Leads Crackdown on Immigrants
Florida authorities claim to have apprehended more than a thousand migrants who allegedly entered the country unlawfully over a single weekend this month. This mass arrest is part of the Trump administration's nationwide plan for large-scale federal operations in collaboration with local law enforcement, according to officials.
NPR's Jasmine Garsd delves into the story of a local pastor's arrest and its impact on a small community in central Florida.
Maurilio Ambrocio, a pastor for over two decades in a church by the Little Manatee River, south of Tampa, has been a well-known figure in the community. In addition to his religious role, Ambrocio owned a landscaping business and was a diligent neighbor, offering assistance during difficult times.
However, news of Ambrocio's detention and deportation spread quickly. Greg Johns, Ambrocio's neighbor, recalls the moment he learned about it. "I was helping a neighbor, and he said, did you hear? I was like, hear what? He said, he heard that Maurilio got deported. I was like, what? What did you just say?"
Johns voted for President Trump last November, hoping that migrants with criminal records would be the primary targets of the administration's immigration enforcement efforts. When the arrest of Ambrocio occurred on April 18, however, he expressed disappointment that a community leader and a hardworking man had been taken away.
Ambrocio had a form of legal protection known as a "stay of removal," which permits individuals entering the U.S. unlawfully to remain in the country as long as they meet stringent conditions, including annual check-ins with immigration officials and regular reporting on their employment status and criminal activity. For the past ten years, Ambrocio had consistently met these requirements and was approved each time.
Despite this legal protection, ICE agents detained Ambrocio during his routine check-in on April 18, as part of a wider removal campaign in Florida. When contacted by NPR to clarify why Ambrocio was detained at that time, ICE responded that he was in the U.S. illegally.
Ambrocio's wife, Marleny, was devastated by her husband's detention. "For my five children," she said, "it's like the world ended." The youngest children are American citizens, and the oldest, Ashley, now bears the responsibility of providing for her family. She took over Ambrocio's landscaping business and assumed many of his pastoral duties at church. In addition, Ashley works several jobs to generate extra income to pay bills.
Ashley's life has become increasingly hectic due to her father's detention. "I try to get as many hours as I can at work, you know, and get some extra money to buy groceries," she said. Unfortunately, it hasn't been enough to sustain the family.
On Sundays, the community gathered at Ambrocio's church, with most members having lived there for over a decade and having U.S. citizen children. In Ambrocio's absence, a guest pastor, Oscar Hernandez, led the service. Despite the overwhelming sadness in the community, Hernandez had a message of hope: "God will often break your heart. But let me tell you something else—God never shows up late."
[1] Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has pledged to make Florida a lead state in immigration enforcement.[2] The Trump administration has announced plans for large-scale federal operations in partnership with local law enforcement to crack down on immigration enforcement.[4] U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained and deported Maurilio Ambrocio as part of these crackdown efforts.
- The current political landscape in Florida, under Governor Ron DeSantis, seems to prioritize immigration enforcement, positioning the state at the forefront of the Trump administration's nationwide plan for a massive crackdown on migrants.
- The detention and deportation of Community leader Maurilio Ambrocio, a long-standing figure in a Florida community, serves as a stark example of the general-news and crime-and-justice implications of this aggressive immigration enforcement strategy.
