Derek Callahan

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Apr 2, 2026, 12:17 PM

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Updated

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A Union County pastor detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the middle of the holy season was in the country illegally for nearly a decade, according to a new statement from the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS said Pastor Yeison Cortes Vasquez came to the United States from Colombia in 2016 and overstayed his tourist visa. His church said he was seeking asylum when he was arrested in Linden last month.

As of Thursday, Cortes Vasquez was being held at an immigration detention facility in Newark. A DHS spokesperson said the pastor will remain in ICE custody and is expected to be deported.

Members of the congregation and other faith leaders held a rally at Delaney Hall, demanding the pastor be released.