12August2026
HOUSTON, TX — A Houston-area Seventh-day Adventist pastor was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while traveling with his wife to New York for a few days of vacation, according to reporting by Aidari Riera for Telemundo Houston.
Pastor Luis Morales, a father of two daughters and pastor of four Adventist congregations in the Houston area, was detained at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on August 7, according to his wife, Karina Morales.
Pastor Morales’s wife, Karina. Image credit: Telemundo Houston
The couple had just entered the airport when, according to Karina, two ICE agents approached them and called Morales by name.
“We have taken maybe six steps; it was really a short distance when some people spoke to us… ‘Mr. Luis,’ when they referred to my husband by name, we stopped right there. Turns out, they were two ICE agents. First thing one of the officials did was show us his ICE badge,” Karina said (translated from Spanish).
The encounter happened quickly. Karina said she handed her husband’s blood pressure medication to one of the officers and has not seen him since.
“It was so fast that, when we arrived, I told my daughter, ‘My love, we’re here. We have arrived at the airport.’ And the second message I sent to my daughter was to tell her, ‘Daddy just got arrested,’” she said.
The couple had just entered the airport when, according to Karina, two ICE agents approached them and called Morales by name.
“We have taken maybe six steps; it was really a short distance when some people spoke to us… ‘Mr. Luis,’ when they referred to my husband by name, we stopped right there. Turns out, they were two ICE agents. First thing one of the officials did was show us his ICE badge,” Karina said (translated from Spanish).
The encounter happened quickly. Karina said she handed her husband’s blood pressure medication to one of the officers and has not seen him since.
“It was so fast that, when we arrived, I told my daughter, ‘My love, we’re here. We have arrived at the airport.’ And the second message I sent to my daughter was to tell her, ‘Daddy just got arrested,’” she said.
Morales is now being held at the Livingston Detention Center. His family has been able to communicate with him by telephone.
According to ICE, Morales entered the United States in January 2020 and was required to leave by July 9 of that year. The agency said he remained in the country for three and a half years beyond that date.
In December 2023, Morales was granted Temporary Protected Status, according to ICE. The agency said that status was revoked on November 20, 2025, and that Morales remained in the United States afterward until his arrest.
“Luis Morales Perez was admitted to the United States in January 2020. Under the terms of his admission, he was required to leave the U.S. no later than July 9, 2020; however, he failed to do so and remained in the country illegally for three and a half years. In December 2023, he was granted Temporary Protected Status. Yet, on November 20, 2025, that status was revoked, and he once again chose to remain in the U.S. illegally until his arrest on August 6,” ICE said.
Karina said the couple has a pending asylum claim. ICE declined to confirm or comment on whether Morales has a pending asylum application, citing privacy laws.
“Privacy laws prohibit ICE from commenting on whether a foreign national has a pending asylum application. However, pending applications do not confer legal status, nor do they prevent the detention of a foreign national who is in the country illegally,” the agency said.
Texas Conference responds
The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists issued a statement following Morales’ detention, expressing concern for the pastor and his family and asking church members and supporters to pray for them.
The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists family is saddened to learn about the recent detainment of one of our pastors, Luis Morales, at George W. Bush International Airport on August 7, 2026. Pastor Morales was traveling with his wife on a personal trip when the incident occurred, and the specifics surrounding his detention remain unclear.
Pastor Morales, who has faithfully served in the Texas Conference since January 2023, oversees four churches in the Houston area and holds valid employment authorization to serve with the Texas Conference. His commitment to our mission and the families he serves is unwavering.
The Texas Conference administration is in ongoing communication with Pastor Morales’ family and church leaders during this challenging time, and we want to ensure their privacy is respected.
We invite our Texas Conference family and supporters to join us in prayer for Pastor Morales and his family that the situation may be resolved quickly.
Morales remains at the Livingston Detention Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment