Faith leaders in New York are calling for the release of an asylum seeker who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement the Monday before Thanksgiving, after arriving for a marriage-based green card interview with his husband and pastor. Allan Dabrio was placed in isolation before being transferred to an ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey.
According to Make the Road New York, an immigrant-rights advocacy nonprofit, immigration officials cited a 2022 removal order for Dabrio—an order he says he never received. Dabrio first applied for asylum more than a decade ago after arriving in the United States from the Cayman Islands. He is a gay man, and while the Cayman Islands has made limited progress toward recognizing LGBTQ+ rights, it still lacks comprehensive legal protections against discrimination.
Dabrio married Matthew Marrero, a U.S. citizen, in 2023. The couple later began the marriage-based immigration process, unaware that a removal order had been issued for Dabrio.
Following Dabrio’s detention, Make the Road New York filed a motion to reopen his case. The filing automatically pauses his deportation but does not require ICE to release him from detention.
Dabrio and Marrero are members of Middle Church in New York City, whose clergy have helped organize legal and community support. On Tuesday, Dec. 9, faith leaders from the church joined representatives from Make the Road New York for a press conference calling for Dabrio’s release.
In a press release, advocates said ICE has failed to consistently provide Dabrio with his prescribed medication for anxiety and depression, placing his health and safety at risk.
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of Middle Church, described efforts to secure Dabrio’s release as “holy work,” adding, “It is what Christians are called to do, in the name of the baby Jesus, who was himself an immigrant.”
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