A man who’s lived in sanctuary at a Detroit church is now free to leave, ending an immigration saga that’s lasted over three years.
Ded Rranxburgaj came to the U.S. illegally from Albania in 2001. He’s the primary caretaker for his wife, Flora, who has multiple sclerosis, and had fought to stay in the country on humanitarian grounds.
Ded Rranxburgaj and wife Flora (far left) can now leave Detroit s Central United Methodist Church after spending more than three years in sanctuary there.
Credit Sarah Cwiek / Michigan Radio
The Trump Administration ordered Rranxburgaj deported in 2018. That’s when he sought sanctuary at Central United Methodist Church, where he’s lived ever since.
Man who lived in church to avoid deportation can go free
May 19, 2021
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DETROIT (AP) A man who has been staying in a Detroit church since 2018 to avoid deportation to Albania can live freely again after being assured by the U.S. government that he won t be removed from the country, an attorney said Wednesday.
“After more than three years, the ordeal of the Rranxburgaj family has come to an end,” George Mann said.
Central United Methodist Church, next to the ballpark where the Detroit Tigers play, gave sanctuary to Ded Rranxburgaj and his family more than three years ago after immigration authorities in the Trump administration ordered him deported.
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Detroit For the first time in three years and five months, Ded Rranxburgaj is free to leave the Central United Methodist Church where his family took refuge fearing his deportation.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had labeled Rranxburgaj a fugitive for evading deportation ordered under the Trump administration in 2018.
After seeking to have his case heard in the U.S. Supreme Court, Rranxburgaj s lawyer said an agreement reached Tuesday with the Department of Justice calls for his client to drop a lawsuit against ICE. In exchange, Rranxburgaj s humanitarian visa will be restored and allow him to remain in the country to care for his ill wife.
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