After 843 days, immigrant couple free to leave Pa. church they used as sanctuary

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — An immigrant couple was free to leave a Pennsylvania church Monday after over two years using it as a sanctuary.

Oneita and Clive Thompson stepped outside of Tabernacle United Church in West Philadelphia for the first time in 843 days, according to KYW.

A letter sent to them by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency will support their case to stay in the country.

The couple came to the U.S. 15 years ago after they fled gang violence in Jamaica.

After losing their asylum case and ICE ordering them deported, the Thompson’s began to hide in the church’s basement, KYW reported.

“Some days I just wanted to hide in the walls of the church, and other days I felt bad ass and just wanted to kick the walls down … Not the physical walls down. Not the physical walls of the church, but the walls of injustice, the walls of racism, the walls of lies, the walls of black woman don’t have a voice,” Oneita Thompson said.

The Thompsons have seven children. Three of them are U.S. citizens. Their two youngest children stayed in the church with the couple as they hid.

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