Yeison Cortes Vasquez went at least a week without a Bible before funds were later provided to purchase one in detention.
Yeison Cortes Vasquez, a 46-year-oldwas taken into custody in Newark on March 20 and is currently being held at the Delaney Hall Detention Center, church leaders said. Leaders from the National Latino Evangelical Coalition say that Cortes Vasquez has been ministering to fellow detainees during his ICE custody.
initially unable to deliver a Bible to him in detention, he went at least a week without access to one before they were later able to provide him with funds to purchase a Bible through the facility’s system. "We’re heartbroken…he’s a vital part of the church," Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, 52, President of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, toldAccording to the ACLU National Prison Project, courts have concluded restrictions on a prisoner's right to religious literature violates the First Amendment. Salguero added that Cortes Vasquez is a leader in the church who visits the sick, leads Bible studies, and serves the local community. He said Cortes Vasquez was credentialed as a minister about six months ago in recognition of his service.has contacted ICE as well as its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security , for comment.Under the Trump administration, ICE pledged to target"the worst of the worst" immigrants, focusing on those with criminal records or posing public safety risks. However,and other nonviolent individuals being detained, raising concerns among faith and immigrant advocacy groups about the breadth of enforcement. Salguero said Cortes Vasquez, who was born in Colombia and has been in the United States for over a decade, was working at the time of his arrest. He said, and that the family maintains he has an active asylum case. Salguero said that Cortes Vasquez was taken into custody after officers allegedly cited an issue related to his vehicle registration. He said Cortes Vasquez has committed no felonies."This man has no criminal record. He’s never been arrested for anything." Salguero said Cortes Vasquez’s wife and three daughters are deeply affected by his detention, describing them as"devastated" and struggling emotionally during his absence. "His daughters are shaken up," Salguero said, before adding,"one of them doesn’t want to eat. She’s losing her appetite." The detention comes as Holy Week approaches, one of the most significant periods in the Christian calendar, when believers mark the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches often hold increased services during this time. "The moral decline of beginning to detain ministers during Holy Week is heartbreaking," Salguero said.Pastor Yeison has walked with our people through their hardest moments—praying with families, lifting up the broken, and pointing us to Christ. "To know that he was denied access to a Bible for nearly a week, especially as we enter Holy Week, is deeply painful and troubling for our entire church family. "We are holding fast to our faith while calling for compassion, dignity, and the protection of our most fundamental freedoms for citizens and immigrants alike—especially our right to worship without government interference." A report produced jointly by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and World Relief found that roughly one in 12 Christians in the United States is either vulnerable to deportation or lives in a household where someone could be deported. The report finds that most immigrants at risk of deportation are Christian, with Catholics and evangelicals comprising the largest share—about 61 percent identifying as Catholic. The National Latino Evangelical Coalition said it will hold a press conference on Thursday outside the Newark detention facility and called on federal authorities to release Cortes Vasquez. His next hearing is scheduled for April 16, a proceeding that will determine the next steps in his ongoing
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