EASTON, Md. — A pastor at a small church on Maryland's Eastern Shore has been arrested by ICE.
Federal immigration agents took Honduran native Daniel Omar Fuentes Espinal into custody on July 21.
Family friend, Len N. Foxwell, told WMAR-2 News that Espinal leads a congregation at Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama (Church of the Nazarene Jesus Loves You), in Easton.
"Pastor Espinal – who also supplements his family income through home improvement work – was arrested by ICE agents while traveling to a work site," Foxwell wrote in an email. "He is a beloved pillar of this quiet Eastern Shore community – regularly provides food, shelter, clothing and toys for those who need help, and also works tirelessly to connect struggling parishioners with job opportunities to support their families."
Foxwell, a current Lecturer in crisis communications at Johns Hopkins University, was for 20 years the Chief of Staff for Peter Franchot, the former Democratic Comptroller of Maryland.
He says his son, who tragically died in a car accident earlier this summer, was best friends with Espinal's son.
Espinal, Foxwell says, is the father to three kids.
"His family is absolutely devastated and this close knit Eastern Shore community is outraged and scared," added Foxwell. "His family has hired an attorney, who is working to secure his release and return home to Easton."
ICE confirmed Espinal's arrest in a statement provided to WMAR.
“Daniel Omar Fuentes Espinal is an illegal alien from Honduras who was arrested by ICE on July 21, in Easton, Maryland. Fuentes entered the United States on a 6-month visa and never left in 24 years. It is a federal crime to overstay the authorized period of time granted under a visitors visa.”
Online state court records show Espinal has no other criminal history.
