Pastor Faces Imminent Deportation Amid Calls for Fair Treatment

Pastor Molis Augustave is facing deportation to Haiti after U.S. immigration officials denied his application for lawful permanent residence. Arrested during a vehicle stop in Pennsylvania, Augustave remains separated from his wife, Omara Nunez, and their two young children. His supporters fear deportation could happen as early as this week.

Augustave, currently detained, expressed his desire to return home to Pennsylvania. Scheduled for a deportation flight on September 17, he was removed from the plane at the last minute. Augustave had Temporary Protected Status before the Trump administration ended the program for about 350,000 Haitian nationals. Advocates praise him as a community pillar before his detention. American Families United questions the benefit to the U.S. of denying him residency and tearing him from his family and community.

While detained, Augustave continues to pastor to over 100 detainees, many experiencing fear and uncertainty about their futures. His deportation was delayed by an emotional campaign led by his wife. We Are CASA’s Ama Frimpong claims the Department of Homeland Security retaliated by fast-tracking his deportation attempt. She criticizes the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for prematurely denying Augustave’s application and calls for a reversal of the decision.

A motion to reconsider Augustave’s case is pending, but there is a possibility of immediate deportation. We Are CASA’s spokesperson, Jossie Flor Sapunar, highlights efforts to expedite his deportation while he is held far from his family. DHS officials stated ICE agents detained Augustave as an “illegal alien from Haiti,” and he will remain in custody until removal.

Augustave was initially detained in 2016 after entering the U.S. illegally. An immigration judge issued a final removal order in 2018. DHS officials encourage illegal aliens to voluntarily depart the U.S., offering financial incentives for self-deportation. They emphasize collaboration with local enforcement in detaining criminal illegal aliens.

American Families United states that bureaucratic hurdles like this are common for family members of U.S. citizens, calling for reform of an immigration system that affects families negatively. Nunez, a U.S. citizen, shares her concerns about maintaining their household amid her husband’s detention and the uncertainty of their family’s future.