Hispanic Pentecostal Leaders Report 19 Pastors Detained or Deported in 2026 Immigration Crackdown
Hispanic Pentecostal leaders say at least 19 pastors and nearly 200 church members within their networks have been detained or deported in 2026. The group is calling on the federal government to protect immigrant faith leaders who have been complying with immigration requirements.
Hispanic Pentecostal leaders say at least 19 pastors and nearly 200 church members within their networks have been detained or deported in 2026. The group is calling on the federal government to protect immigrant faith leaders who have been following legal requirements.
The cases span multiple states. In Texas, Luis Morales, a pastor who leads four Adventist churches in the Houston area, was detained at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in August 2026 while traveling with his wife. ICE said his Temporary Protected Status had been revoked in November 2025. He was taken to a detention facility in Livingston, Texas.
In New Jersey, Pastor Yeison Cortes Vasquez, a 46-year-old Colombian native, was detained in Newark in March 2026. Members of Congress, including Reps. Rob Menendez and Adriano Espaillat, held vigils outside the Delaney Hall detention center.
In Massachusetts, José Raúl Hernández, a Honduran pastor at Resurrection Church in East Boston, was detained in November 2025 after a routine ICE check-in. He spent 15 days at Plymouth County Correctional Facility before being released on bond.
Faith leaders say many of those detained had no criminal records and had been in regular contact with immigration authorities for years. Some had worn ankle monitors and submitted regular address updates.
Hispanic Pentecostal organizations are urging the administration to create a process that protects pastors and church workers who are actively serving their communities. They argue that detaining religious leaders disrupts congregations and harms the communities those leaders serve.
Christianity Today reported in September 2026 that the detentions have prompted increased political mobilization among Hispanic evangelical groups, who are pressing lawmakers to address what they describe as a pattern of enforcement against law-abiding immigrants.
