TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A Christian Indonesian couple who fear they’ll be deported if they follow orders to report to U.S. immigration officials have taken refuge in a church run by a candidate in New Jersey’s governor’s race.
The Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, the Green Party candidate, offered sanctuary in the Reformed Church of Highland Park to Arthur Jemmy and his wife, Silfia Tobing, last week. They fear they’ll join seven other Indonesians in New Jersey who were deported and four others who left on their own as Immigration and Customs Enforcement reviewed their status this year.
Kaper-Dale, who is waging a long-shot bid in the race to replace Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has highlighted his long-running efforts to help immigrants living in the state illegally in his campaign. Kaper-Dale’s church gave sanctuary to nine Indonesian refugees for almost a year in 2012.
Kaper-Dale said he has reached out to attorneys for the family, and said his actions were not politically motivated.
“Take a look at my track record since 2002. I have been fighting hard for this. I can’t help if I’m doing real stuff,” he said.