Tell me if you have heard this story. An immigrant comes to America illegally, but does all the right things: stays out of trouble, gets a job, has a family, pays taxes. He decides to support Donald Trump because he is one of the "good immigrants" and Republicans are only going to get rid of the "criminals, rapists, drug dealers and murderers" and you will be spared.
Until you are not.
NPR is reporting on this exact story unfolding right outside of Tampa, Florida where an Evangelical Pastor named Maurilio Ambrocio is in the Finding Out phase of FAFO.
Ambrocio has been in America for 20 years, leading a church and running a successful landscaping business. In April, he was swooped up in a massive ICE raid.
In November of 2024, Ambrocio turned his church into a POLLING STATION (is that even allowed?). Many members of the church, including a member quoted by NPR, voted for Donald Trump. Why? Because they were "not happy with the direction the country was going." They expressed hopes that "migrants in the country without papers and with criminal records would be targeted. But [they] never expected a pillar of the community like Maurilio Ambrocio would be taken away.
Ambrocio is one of many that were arrested during a mandatory annual check in with ICE. He has been granted what is a called a "stay of removal" which means he is allowed to remain in the country as long as he meets with immigration officials at least once a year and meets other qualifications, such as maintaining employment and not committing any crimes. Ambrocio has met both qualifications faithfully. He thought he was safe.
He was wrong.
When asked by NPR why he was detained, ICE had no comment.
Now Ambrocio's oldest daughter (one of five children, all U.S. citizens) is tasked with supporting the family. Ashley is 19 and works several jobs now, including running her fathers landscaping business.
A guest pastor runs the church. On a recent Sunday he took prayer requests for attendees. All around the room, women ask for prayers for the husbands and sons who have been detained.
You are never one of the good ones, even if you think you are.
