Haitian Pastor Granted Last-Minute Reprieve From Deportation

Pastor Molis Augustave, a Haitian immigrant serving at Iglesia de Dios Voz de Alerta in Pennsylvania, was granted a last-minute reprieve from deportation on September 18. Augustave had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 5 following a traffic stop. He was scheduled to be on a flight with approximately 90 other Haitian nationals before advocacy groups and community leaders intervened, successfully securing his removal from the aircraft.

Augustave, who has lived in the United States for six years, is currently held at an ICE facility in Louisiana. His legal representatives from the advocacy group We Are CASA have filed an emergency motion to reopen his removal proceedings and are pursuing a stay of removal. The pastor also has a pending application for a green card with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

ICE officials stated that Augustave entered the country illegally in 2016 and was issued a deportation order by an immigration judge in 2018. While his supporters celebrate the temporary stay as a victory, his legal team emphasizes that the case remains ongoing as they continue to advocate for his permanent residency and reunification with his wife and two children.