MORRISVILLE, N.C. -- Chaos broke out Friday after an undocumented immigrant was attempting to attend a planned meeting with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. His supporters are now facing charges after he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Mexican native Samuel Oliver-Bruno has been living and declaring sanctuary at City Well United Methodist Church in Durham for nearly a year. He went to a federal office in Morrisville Friday morning for a health exam. It was part of the legal process to get a "deferred deportation." That is also where ICE agents took him down and put him in the back of a minivan.

Many of his supporters were on hand and they blocked the vehicle from moving forward. At one point it appears that one protester damaged or attempted to damage a tire on the van.

 

 

A little over an hour later, Morrisville police officers gave a warning then moved into the crowd. Officials say 27 people were arrested without incident or injury.
Bruno's son, who is a U.S. citizen, was also arrested for hitting a government official. Many of Bruno's supporters say they suspected something would happen when Bruno left his sanctuary, but they weren't expecting this and believe ICE agents lured and trapped him.

"Everyone knew it was a risk I think, but again, it was for a biometrics appointment," supporter Damon Williams said.

 

 

Officials say they can't say where exactly Bruno is, only that he is on his way to a detention facility. The closest one to the area is in Georgia. 

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