Immigrant who lived at Durham sanctuary before deportation dies in Mexico after car crash
A man that was deported in 2018 after seeking sanctuary inside a Durham church died in a car accident in Mexico.
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Pastors at CityWell Church confirmed on Tuesday that Samuel Oliver-Bruno died earlier this week in a hospital in Mexico.
"He was in a tragic car accident in Mexico in April 2020. This week, he ultimately succumbed to the injures he sustained during that car accident," said CityWell Pastor Crystal DesVignes.
DesVignes also asked for prayers for Oliver-Bruno's family.
Oliver-Bruno lived at the church for almost a year before he was detained in November 2018 when he left for an immigration appointment.
He was then deported to Mexico later that month.
Oliver-Bruno was convicted in 2014 of using fraudulent papers to cross the border. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Oliver-Bruno's case received all appropriate legal processes and appeals before the deportation.
Supporters of Oliver-Bruno held multiple events since his arrest in hopes stopping the deportation.
Oliver-Bruno was friends with Jose Chicas, another man who sought sanctuary at a Durham church. Chicas was able to leave the sanctuary for the first time in over three years in January, after President Joe Biden's administration halted deportations for 100 days.
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