An evangelical leader who had been living in the United States for 26 years has been deported to Guatemala.
Maurilio Ambrocio was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on April 17, before the high-profile Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California that sparked on-the-street protests.
The 42-year-old was attending a routine annual immigration check-in when he was detained.
Ambrocio, originally from Guatemala, entered the U.S. illegally. Although a deportation order had been issued against him, the courts granted him an official "stay of removal." Under the terms of this stay, he was required to attend regular check-ins and maintain a clean record. He had been keeping these appointments with ICE for the past twelve years.
Speaking to Newsweek, Ashley Ambrocio said:
"It's truly horrible. These people are going to their appointments to make it right. If they were the 'real criminals' Trump is supposedly deporting, they wouldn't be representing themselves to a judge."
Under Operation Safeguard, ICE has increased deportations and raids in urban "sanctuary" cities, targeting both criminal and non-criminal undocumented immigrants.
The White House has set a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told Newsweek:
"Maurilio Amizael Ambrocio Mendez is an illegal alien from Guatemala who illegally re-entered the U.S. after being deported in 2006. While illegally in the U.S., Mendez was convicted of driving without a license in 2012. He received final removal orders from a judge on January 13, 2013. He was arrested by ICE on April 17, 2025, in Tampa."
Maurilio has five children born during his time in the U.S.—all of whom are U.S. citizens. He owns a handyman and landscaping business and serves as pastor of Iglesia Evangélica De Santidad in Wimauma.
Ashley says his faith remains strong and that, while detained, he ministered to many people whose lives were transformed by his preaching.
"He tells us about countless people who have changed their way of living because of the messages my father has preached there," Ashley said.
"Faith is everything for us. It's a pillar of strength," she added. "We have faith that the Lord will use him in there and that soon he will be able to come out."