Sanctuary seeker finds refuge from deportation at Fort Collins church

Fort Collins' Foothills Unitarian Universalist Church took in a Peruvian immigrant Tuesday morning, hours before her scheduled deportation flight. 

Ingrid Encalada Latorre, 33, of Denver, was ordered to deport to her native country due to a 2010 conviction for possessing falsified or stolen identification papers. She initially sought sanctuary at a Quaker meeting house in Denver from November 2016 until May.

That deportation order was put on hold while she appealed it. The appeal was denied, and Gov. John Hickenlooper refused to pardon her.

Latorre initially had planned to board the flight and even had a going away party planned, supporters at church said. But her younger son, who is not quite 2 years old, became sick with flu. Latorre said she didn't think it would be healthy for him or others on the 18-hour flight. Meanwhile, her older son, 9, didn't want to leave his home for a country that he's never been to. Both children are U.S. citizens.

Her younger son will stay with her at the church. Latorre didn't know where her older son would stay just yet, given how suddenly she decided to seek sanctuary. Latorre hopes for another legal review to her case, but said she is mentally preparing to stay in sanctuary throughout the Trump administration.

"Being in sanctuary is not nice," Latorre said through a translator. She speaks basic English but preferred to use a translator so she could be more precise in describing her situation. "It's not beautiful."

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She will be sharing an auxiliary room at the church with at least one of her sons. The room is typically used for youth worship during Sunday service. It now has two cots, a crib, a microwave and a small refrigerator.

Latorre hopes it will give her time to fight to stay in the U.S., where she's been since she was 17. Latorre hoped to pursue "the American dream" and study here. She said she received poor legal advice when first exploring residency options.

"If they do immigration reform, (I) wouldn't be in this situation," Latorre said, adding that people now treat her like a criminal who committed theft or murder. "There are thousands of immigrants in this situation."

Latorre's supporters told U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about her decision, according to the Associated Press. ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok told the AP Latorre "is currently an ICE fugitive" because she failed to leave the U.S. after a federal immigration judge granted her voluntary departure.

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He refused to comment on any future enforcement action while noting that ICE policy directs agents to avoid enforcement activities at houses of worship, schools and hospitals without approval from supervisors or when in non-emergency situations.

The congregation of the church, which is non-dogmatic and attracts liberal worshipers, voted at the end of August to offer sanctuary to those seeking it. They had planned to host a different undocumented immigrant in September, until a new legal avenue opened up to fight that deportation case. That meant they had space for Latorre.

Rev. Gretchen Haley, the senior minister, said they found out Monday night Latorre would be staying at their church and started contacting volunteers. The church has more than 100 volunteers, not all of whom are congregants there, who are trained and background checked to help sanctuary seekers.

"We're delighted to help her family stay together for at least a little while longer," said Sue Ferguson, who is on the sanctuary leadership team for the church. "It's a moral imperative."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Previously:Immigrant living in Denver church ventures to court