A Guatemalan man facing deportation took sanctuary at a western Massachusetts church. Now he's teaching Spanish there.
Lucio Perez entered sanctuary at the First Church in Amherst last October. He faced a final order of deportation. Perez is married with four children.
Before entering the church, he worked as a landscaper. This summer, he's offered Spanish lessons to earn money for his family.
He said he's no professor, but he enjoys talking to his students. People say they want to learn and he learns as well.
Separately, a woman who took sanctuary at a church in Northampton is also working to make money for her family. She's making and selling pierogies.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman said Perez remains a fugitive and the agency will seek to enforce the deportation order if he leaves the church.
