Church Works With U.S. to Spare Detention

Suddenly a prosperous suburban congregation was confronted with the labyrinthine world of immigration law and detention, as reported by the New York Times. And the church reached a new level of activism — with extraordinary results. Under an unusual compact between the pastor and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Newark, four Indonesians have been released from detention in recent weeks, and 41 others living as fugitives from deportation have turned themselves in under church auspices. Instead of being jailed — as hundreds of thousands of immigrants without criminal records have been in recent years — they have been released on orders of supervision, eligible for work permits while their lawyers consider how their cases might be reopened.