From Sanctuary to Freedom

After living over three years within the confines of the church building, Ded was able to step foot outside Central United Methodist Church on May 18, 2021.  It was January 15, 2018 when the Rranxburgaj family moved into Central United Methodist Church in Detroit, MI seeking sanctuary.  Since their application for asyulm from the communist rule of Albania was denied, Ded and Flora Rranxburgaj had lived in the US undocumented for 17 years.

As Rev. Dr. Jill Hardt Zundel wrote in February, during the time the Rranxburgaj’s case was in appeal, “Flora was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which now has her confined to a wheel chair.”  Both Flora and Ded were given stays of removal on humanitarian reasons, and they checked in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) every year.

However at the end of 2017, “Ded received a final order of deportation and was ordered to purchase a one way ticket back to Albania.”  Before the January 25th date on which Ded was to report, the Rranxburgaj family including Ded, Flora, and their two sons, Lorenc and Eric, found sanctuary in Central UMC.

Officially ending his three years of sanctuary with the regional immigration field office, Ded can freely go outside and the Rranxburgaj can finally go home.  There isn’t yet a full stay of removal, but ending this time of sanctuary and moving forward to living life like “normal” are victories.  The 2021 US immigration system is broken and cruel and not far from the brokenness and cruelty of the first US policies that attempted to control human migration from a dominant narrative perspective.  Still, we celebrate this victory in May 2021, and we celebrate with the Rranxburgaj family and Central UMC.

Central UMC of Detroit, MI is a Justice-Seeking Congregation. If your church, small group, ministry group, or community is interested in becoming a Justice-Seeking Community, please click here and check out the JSC Covenant.