A federal judge blocked an Indonesian man detained at a Maryland church from being deported by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE was ordered to send Binsar Siahaan back from a Georgia detention center to Maryland.
Siahaan is an asylum-seeking, claiming he would be persecuted in Indonesia for his Christian beliefs.
The judge ruled it was “impossible” to guarantee Siahaan’s protection, saying “He can’t get the relief. It’s gone.”
Siahaan was first detained in 2012 at a Maryland church, which was considered a “sensitive location” for immigrants to flee to avoid arrests. The 52-year-old has lived in the United States for about 30 years, working legally as a driver at the Indonesian Embassy before overstaying his visa.
Siahaan was then placed on an order of supervision. He revoked that order in February, which led to a second detention. He was released in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In September, Siahaan was arrested for a third time at Glenmont United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.
© 2020 Newsmax. All rights reserved.