Dozens of protesters braved the heat, rain, and traffic on Friday evening to decry the detention of beloved Easton pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal by ICE.
Nearly 100 people of all ages braved stifling heat, speeding cars, and finally a soaking rain shower at the corner of Dover Street and Route 50 on behalf of Daniel Fuentes Espinal, the Easton pastor arrested by ICE earlier this week.
They held homemade placards — some political, others scriptural, a few downright profane — and chanted slogans as passing cars beeped their approval as a news chopper hovered above.
The winner for best dressed was a woman in full Lady Liberty regalia. Best sign: ICE: Insufferable Cowardly Extremists.
The protesters were happy to talk to The Spy, but few wanted to give their names for self-evident reasons.
One woman decried the bureaucratic process of naturalization as odious and prohibitively expensive for most immigrants, who nonetheless play a critical role in providing services to Talbot like construction, painting, landscaping, and agricultural work.
“This is straight out of the fascist playbook,” said another gentleman, among several men and women in clerical garb. “Arrest the leaders to intimidate and disenfranchise their followers.”
A third woman said “Trump pledged to deport the worst of the worst. This is the polar opposite of that promise. This is not good governance.”
Meanwhile, the 54-year-old Fuentes Espinal was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana northwest of New Orleans, a family member stated publicly, adding that he was initially deprived of his daily medicine, but is receiving it there.
Following the arrest, ICE issued a statement saying, “Fuentes entered the United States on a six-month visa and never left in 24 years. It is a federal crime to overstay the authorized period of time granted under a visitor’s visa.”
Posting on Instagram, the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus “condemns the unjust detention of Pastor Espinal and reaffirms its commitment to defending immigrant communities. We call for his immediate release and demand immigration enforcement focus on real threats not devoted community leaders. Maryland must stand for safety, dignity, and humanity.”
Maryland Representatives Sarah Elfreth and Glenn Ivey, along with Senator Chris Van Hollen, condemned the arrest, calling Pastor Fuentes Espinal a “beloved pillar” of Easton and accusing the Trump administration of “indiscriminately profiling and targeting individuals based on their skin color.”
Bob Kopec says
So sorry to hear this. Such abusive inequality. Melania Knauss, an immigrant, entered the US under a VISA with false pretenses. VISA did not permit her to work. She violated that. Trump campaigned to rid the country of criminals and illegal immigrants. Trump is a criminal and Melania is an illegal immigrant. Whe are they still in the US?
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Interesting that there is no expression of outrage or offer of help to the Espinal family from our elected state legislature officials, or our congressman. Scary, isn’t it? Who will disappear next?
Barbara pratt says
Release Pastor Espinal. Deport Stephen Miller.
Marion Arnold says
Rep. Andy Harris in his statement to the press said he “believes due process within the immigration system is important.” The pastor is already in Louisiana. Where is Andy Harris?
Rick Hughes says
With only about 48 hours notice, more than 200 people (at last count) gathered to protest the ICE taking of Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal. I spoke with folks from Wicomico, Queen Anne, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent and from all over Talbot. There were people from all walks of life; from teens to those in their 80s, professionals, students, retirees and several clergy. Passersby were overwhelmingly positive, displaying solidarity with horns and waves, thumbs up and hoots. Of course, there were also some who had to display their level of maturity by making their compensators rev up loudly, stepping on the gas and offering a middle finger salute as they sped away – but they were very few and far between. The Trump regime may claim that it’s fighting crime by sending hardened criminals away, but the reality is that it’s conducting a terror campaign resulting in the abduction of some hard working, tax paying, valuable members of the community and sending them far and wide to some for profit prisons in the US and in foreign countries. I ask, is the country better off with people like Pastor Fuentes Espinal lying on the floor in a cold detention center? No, it is not. He is a father to US citizens, a pastor, a business man, a humanitarian. When the US spends $90k to detain an upstanding member of society, who picks up the pieces? What happens to the landlord who can no longer pay the mortgage when his renter is sent away? Who provides food and shelter to the rest of the family? The kids of detainees are often US citizens, do these citizens not deserve better, don’t they deserve protection? I’m all for detaining and deporting (after trial) those arrested for criminal activity, but not for paying bounties to ICE contractors to run around abducting people who, in many cases, are paying taxes, contributing, and often going through the long and expensive process of obtaining legal residency or citizenship. The US has ignored the faults of the problem, candidate Trump killed the bipartisan immigration bill and the US has benefitted culturally and financially off of the hard work of these people for many years… now one man declares them subhuman and brands them all criminals and, to use his all to frequent word, the witch-hunt ensues.
The Rt. Rev. Joel Marcus Johnson - Anglican Bishop of The Chesapeake, Ret'd. says
Well said, sir – thank you. (Regret a funeral prevented my presence.)
Mary K Pendergast says
It is not just the pastor… many people have been picked up by ICE in Easton and are in Baltimore on their way to being deported.