Posted on September 15, 2017 at 3:34 PM

By Michael Sangiacomo, The Plain Dealer

AKRON, Ohio -- Agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "pounded on the door" of the Akron home of Leonor Garcia Friday morning, even though the office was told she has taken sanctuary in the the Forest Hill Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights, church officials said.

Garcia's 3-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter, Margaret, were home when agents knocked loudly on the door. Garcia, who is an undocumented immigrant, was scheduled to be deported to Mexico on Thursday. Instead, she took refuge in the church on Tuesday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Khaalid Walls said agents will not attempt to remove her from the church. He cited ICE policy that says agents will "avoid conducting enforcement activities in sensitive areas" that includes places of worship, schools and hospitals.

He had no comment on the actions at Garcia's home at 11 a.m. Friday.

"Leonor is very upset," said Pastor John Lentz. "Her daughter was upset as well because the agents pounded on the door and frightened the children beyond words."

Lentz said Garcia's daughter, who was born in the United States, refused to answer the door and eventually the agents left.

"This is harassment since ICE knows Leonor is here in the church," said Lentz. "We've been having conversations with them because they want us to return the ankle monitor Leonor wears. We have been discussing how to do that, since cutting it would be tampering with government property."

Lentz said the woman's four American-born children would be brought to the church to stay with their mother, at least temporarily.

Garcia has been living in the United States without documentation for at least 20 years and is the sole support of her children since her husband was deported in 2011.

She was facing deportation more than seven years ago but was given a reprieve after ICE officials learned of her family's circumstances. Since then, she was able to stay in the United States.

On Aug. 1, Garcia checked in with ICE for what she thought would be a routine meeting. Instead, she was affixed with an ankle monitor and told to report for deportation yesterday.

After hearing of the woman's situation, the church offered to allow her to live in an apartment upstairs.

"Since the word got out, more than 90 percent of the people who contacted us support her and what the church is doing," Lentz said.

Lynn Tramonte, a Cleveland Heights resident who is an official with the national immigrant support group America's Voice, said other churches in the country have opened doors to people facing deportation, including a church in Columbus.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index...to_home_o.html