Two years. That’s how long Springfield resident Lucio Perez has been forced to live in sanctuary at the First Congregational Church in Amherst.
Before taking the extraordinary step to escape a deportation order — based on a minor charge that was later dropped — Perez lived and worked for nearly two decades in the United States. Originally from Guatemala, he has three children who are U.S. citizens. He has lived in western Massachusetts since 2009.
