Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal
An Easton minister who was born in Honduras and has lived in the United States for nearly 25 years was detained Monday morning by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal, who has served as the minister of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesús Te Ama church since 2015, was arrested early on July 21 after departing Lowe’s after picking up some construction materials, his daughter told local media. An ICE vehicle followed him to the nearby McDonald’s, and later arrested him on Route 322 after he ate his breakfast.
According to published reports, he was first taken to Salisbury and then transferred to the Baltimore ICE detention center, where he awaits further transfer. The daughter, Clarissa Fuentes Diaz, said Espinal is a father of three with a large extended family, and has no criminal record. Espinal’s family has tried to obtain citizenship legally for years, but due to backlogs and expenses, Espinal remained undocumented, Diaz told local media.
Matthew R. Peters, executive director of the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center, which provides outreach services to immigrants, said such detentions are not new but appear to be ramping up. The detention of a prominent member of his community has raised the profile of the issue and may point to further detentions in the future.
“This is nothing new for this community,” Peters said. “In this case, people on the outside are feeling injustice. But everyone who is taken causes an impact on their family and friends.”
Since the start of the second Trump administration in January, immigration arrests have doubled in Maryland, according to the Deportation Data Project, an academic research-based initiative to track deportations. More than 600 immigrants with no criminal record have been arrested during that timespan.
Community members have come out in vigorous support for Espinal, with over 10 character letters written on his behalf, including Len Foxwell, a retired state official and communications strategist. Espinal spoke at the July funeral of Foxwell’s son Darren, who died in an auto accident earlier this summer and was a friend of Espinal’s son Daniel.
“If there is anyone who exemplifies the teachings of Christ and the true values of the Christian faith, it is Pastor Espinal,” Foxwell wrote on his Facebook page. “This [arrest] isn’t about securing the southern border, nor is it about making our communities safe. This is a human tragedy that has torn apart a hard-working family led by one who has given so much to others.
Peters said anyone who may be vulnerable to ICE detention should have a plan in place and work to understand the process through trusted resources with accurate information, noting the danger of scammers preying on immigrants worried about potential arrest.
Bob Kopec says
Trump the multiple felony criminal and his wife the illegal immigrant criminal still breathe free air. Why isn’t a rapist and tax cheat in prison?
Liz Freedlander says
Would donations to support legal actions on his behalf be helpful? If yes, where to send?
Philip Russell says
Please publish if you find a proper venue to help with legal fees or bail. My pastor is looking for a Go Fund Me account.
Tom McCall says
The jackboots have arrived. First the brown people. Then who is next?
25 billion dollars to invest in a militia with masks. They are literally taking these people to black sites nowhere near their country of origin. Without due process. The 14th amendment protects against this. But we are trading our rights for the containment of a “threat.”
It didn’t seem so outrageous in 1938 Germany either. Or when the Japanese were put in concentration camps during WW2. Find the “dangerous” other and lock them up. I think we are losing our Constitution’s rights to fascism. Right now.
Who will pick the vegetables? Cook in restaurants? Mow the lawns? Nanny for our working mothers? This labor is essential to our economy. These tax paying people are useful. And let’s say it our loud, who will the masked men come for next?
Hal De Bona says
Tom, with all due respect I feel it goes much deeper than “who will” do the jobs that Americans are not longer interested in doing. Those are “first world” problems imo. I’m more concerned as to who will feed and cloth the innocent children of those deported or detained.
Robert Vitale says
It’s difficult to see how this is a good outcome for the country or the community.
Jim Bruce says
Wake up, Talbot County! Don’t be surprised. Trump demonized immigrants for years and now pledges to deport a million immigrants in one year, far more than any other President. He charges White House advisor Stephen Miller to meet that goal. While Trump claims they are deporting “the worst of the worst”, Miller can’t meet the goal that way and tells ICE to focus on numbers, not on criminal records. Immigrants who have been here the longest and established themselves well in the community, like Pastor Espinal, are the most visible, and therefore the most vulnerable. He will not be the last. Our focus should be on a path to citizenship for such people, not their deportation. We should all stand with our neighbor, Pastor Espinal.
Michele Dappert says
This is both entirely expected and outrageous. No one — NO ONE — should be disappeared without access to basic human rights and due process. Period.
I hope all of Talbot County will outreach to their representatives their horror and stand with our neighbors. “First they came for…” Is happening in front of our eyes. Stand up and speak out now.
Jim Wilkins says
Wonder what our congressman has to say about this outrage. Wait a minute. I don’t wonder at all. Harris will support any action taken by the criminals in the White House. Let’s all work to get rid of him.
Hal De Bona says
So the cowards followed him out of Lowe’s, then to McDonald’s, only to presumably pulled him over on 322 so as to not draw attention to themselves. What were the masked men afraid of by arresting him in the McDonalds parking lot? This makes my blood boil, as I hope it does to every decent person, regardless of how they voted in 2024.
I’m hoping to find “NO ICE HERE” yard signs soon. Say it loud, get the F out!
Tony Kern says
Thank you, Matt Peters, for all you do for the entire community.
Marcia says
This is an outrage. Trump needs to go. He is cruel and inhumane.
Marty says
Here is the GoFundMe link to help him and his family. Please help if you can.
https://gofund.me/d4fda959