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DoomsdaysCWROUNDING UP ALL THOSE DANGEROUS CRIMINALS, EH?
#Maine pastor who founded #SouthPortland church detained by #ICE
According to ICE, he came into the U.S. in 2016 and allegedly overstayed his visa by nine years.
by Jacob Murphy, August 21, 2025
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — "A pastor who worked in #SouthPortlandME and #GorhamME is in custody after he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"According to an ICE spokesperson, #MichelTshimankinda came into the United States in March 2016 on a tourist visa and allegedly overstayed his visa by nine years. ICE officers arrested him on Aug. 13 during 'targeted enforcement operations.'
" 'Unlike the previous administration, President #Trump and Secretary #KristiNoem will not turn a blind eye to violations of U.S. immigration laws. They remain dedicated to prioritizing safety and protecting the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws,' said James Covington, a spokesperson for ICE.
"According to ICE's Online Detainee Locator System, Tshimankinda is being held in #DoverNH, at the Strafford County Department of Corrections, and he was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Church leaders at #LifeChurch in Gorham said Tshimankinda had been coming to the church with his family for several years before he became a pastor.
" 'He sought asylum for his four kids and his wife and himself. And he's just a great man. Great man of God,' said Pastor Tom Pequinot with Life Church. 'He and his wife were very honest, very authentic, very open and shared a lot of their story to everybody.'
"Maine's Total Coverage asked ICE whether Tshimankinda applied for asylum, but the agency did not answer.
"Pequinot said Tshimankinda formed his own church, called #RestorationChurch, in South Portland, renting out space in the Promised Land World Outreach Center.
"Paul Roberts, a leader at Restoration Church, said he has been working closely with Tshimankinda since he started it in March.
" 'You leave the church service, and you're like, 'I really need to hear that,' you know? That's what got me going there,' Roberts said.
"When Tshimankinda was initially taken into custody, both Pequinot and Roberts were among the first people he called.
" 'The phone rang, and it was Michael and I said, 'Hey, Mike, how's it going?' And he started talking pretty fast, he was a little nervous. But, you know, I don't think he's been detained before. So we, we talked through it, we prayed,' Pequinot said.
"In his absence, Restoration Church will continue to hold services as previously scheduled. In the meantime, Roberts said the situation has been concerning for worshippers.
" 'He's been nothing but a godsend to the whole community. I mean, granted, the church is small, but what he did, he's taken in a #ChurchOfAllNations,' Roberts said. 'Because many of them are from a different country, it kind of, it brings a fear factor in for some of them because of the fact that, you know, it could happen to them.'
"Roberts said he wishes the situation could have been handled differently.
" 'You can tell he’s been doing it forever, and he loves the Lord with all his heart. Man, this guy I don't think will even hurt a fly,' he said. 'It doesn't make any sense to me. I understand the law, and I don't blame the ICE, because ICE is doing their job. They just do what the government tells them. [I was in] the military, I know exactly how it goes. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, but they detained him and, and for no reason at all. All they had to do is give him a court date.'
"Pequinot and Roberts both said that Tshimankinda's first day in court will be Aug. 28. In the meantime, his family has started a #GoFundMe and has raised more than $20,000."
Link to GoFundMe:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-michel-home
#Maine #MaineNews #USPol #ResistICE #ICEKidnapping #ICESucks