TULSA, Okla — The congregation of the "Iglesia Cristiana la Hermosa" is speaking out after losing an important member of their church family.
Pastor Wulfrano Portillo Castro is back in Mexico after his family said he was wrongfully detained during a routine United States Citizenship and Immigration Services appointment (USCIS).
His daughter, Tania Portillo, said he was detained on March 10, which was the day of the appointment.
By 10 am March 12, Portillo said her father was already in Coahuila, Mexico.
FLORES: “What is it that happened the day you found out your father was detained?”
PORTILLO: “We were trying to find him, because after he was detained, we didn't hear anything from him. We didn't know anything about him. So we kept checking the detainee search website, and nothing was coming up. Nothing was coming up. When we finally did hear from him, he was already in Mexico, so he had no fighting chance.”
Tania Portillo provided some documents showing that Pastor Portillo was attending his appointments and conducting important tests, such as fingerprinting, to get on track for approval of his U-Visa.
Documents show he officially applied in 2018.
“He has been trying to do everything the correct way, fighting to stay in this country, and yet that has not been good enough," said Portillo. "Most of his life he's lived it here, so he was sent to a country he doesn't know anymore."
FLORES: “How do you feel right now after everything that’s happened?”
PORTILLO: “He's the anchor of our family. He's what held us steady, and now that our anchor is no longer here with us, physically, I feel like our boat is just tumbling and we're trying to learn how to navigate those waters without him. So it hasn't been easy. It's been really hard.”
Portillo said her family is hoping that her father’s application gets approved, but for now, she’s glad he’s safe, even with a major border separating them.
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