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Houston Adventist pastor returns to pulpit after ICE detention and $12K bond
Confirmed
What we know
Seventh-day Adventist pastor Luis Morales Pérez, who leads multiple Houston-area congregations, was detained by ICE on Aug. 6 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport while traveling with his wife toward New York.
Houston Chronicle and Christian Post: he posted a $12,000 bond and was released Wednesday, returning to the pulpit this weekend. Release terms include an ankle monitor; an immigration-court hearing is set for Sept. 9.
ICE said Morales entered legally in 2020, that Temporary Protected Status granted in 2023 was later revoked (Nov. 2025), and that he remained removable. His family and attorney say an asylum claim remains pending; ICE declined to confirm asylum details citing privacy.
The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists had earlier expressed concern after the airport detention. Separately, advocates reported another Haitian pastor detained by ICE in Springfield, Ohio, on Aug. 20 — a distinct case.
What's confirmed
- Airport detention Aug. 6, Livingston detention stay, midweek bond release, and Sunday pulpit return: Houston Chronicle, Christian Post, local TV/Adventist outlets.
- ICE public statement on TPS termination and removability timeline.
- Sept. 9 hearing and ankle-monitor condition reported across those outlets.
What's still developing
- Outcome of the Sept. 9 immigration hearing and asylum adjudication.
- Any broader pattern claims around clergy detentions remain case-by-case.