# Beloved deacon faces deportation under Trump's immigration crackdown  
**Published:** 2026-05-11T18:40:05.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/ice-puts-ankle-monitor-restrictions-on-catholic-deacon-beloved-by-nebraska-clergy-and-guatemalans/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/beloved-deacon-faces-deportation-under-trump-s-immigration-crackdown

Deacon Rolando Lorenzo Nicolas stood at the altar of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Omaha in early May, celebrating three years of his ordination as a permanent deacon. The moment marked a significant achievement for a man believed to be the only Q'anjob'al-speaking permanent Catholic deacon in the United States—a rare spiritual leader serving South Omaha's growing Guatemalan Maya community. Yet the celebration was shadowed by an ankle monitor and federal restrictions that could soon tear him from the congregation he shepherds. Since mid-April, Nicolas has been required to wear the electronic monitor, allowing federal immigration agents to track his movements. He faces frequent home visits from authorities and the constant threat of detention and deportation under President Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement push.

"They're controlling me with the monitor," Nicolas, 46, told the [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/ice-puts-ankle-monitor-restrictions-on-catholic-deacon-beloved-by-nebraska-clergy-and-guatemalans/). "I really don't know what is going to happen." Nicolas arrived in the United States in late 1999 after crossing the border without authorization at age 20, fleeing Guatemala during a period of violence that traumatized Maya communities. He sought asylum, worked legally for a time, but was deported in 2005 after his claim was denied. He returned several months later and was detained again in 2015 on illegal reentry charges. Each time, supporters from the Omaha Catholic Archdiocese advocated on his behalf, arguing that returning him to Guatemala would endanger his life.

Now, the archdiocese—overseeing 230,000 Catholics across 23 northeastern and eastern Nebraska counties—has mobilized to defend him again. Archbishop Michael McGovern and other clergy submitted letters to the Department of Homeland Security vouching for Nicolas's character. Chancellor Tim McNeil, who oversees diaconate training, called him a "gift" to the community. "He gives himself away every day to people, mostly people in need," McNeil said. "To extract or remove someone like him from our community doesn't make sense."

The case highlights the complexity of Trump's immigration enforcement strategy, which has dramatically expanded ICE operations throughout the country. Since taking office, the administration [increased community arrests by more than elevenfold](https://www.cfr.org/articles/ice-and-deportations-how-trump-reshaping-immigration-enforcement) compared to traditional custody transfers from jails and prisons. ICE detention capacity has ballooned, with [nearly 69,000 people in detention as of early January 2026](https://www.cfr.org/articles/ice-and-deportations-how-trump-reshaping-immigration-enforcement).

Nicolas has spent his diaconate years serving St. Francis of Assisi's Maya parishioners, many from the Santa Eulalia region where he was raised. He presides over baptisms, funerals, and weddings, and counsels couples, inmates, and youth. He is trilingual—fluent in English, Spanish, and Q'anjob'al—making him a crucial bridge between the indigenous community and the broader church. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to requests for comment about his case.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/ice-puts-ankle-monitor-restrictions-on-catholic-deacon-beloved-by-nebraska-clergy-and-guatemalans/)
- [Council on Foreign Relations - How Trump Is Reshaping Immigration Enforcement](https://www.cfr.org/articles/ice-and-deportations-how-trump-reshaping-immigration-enforcement)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/ice-puts-ankle-monitor-restrictions-on-catholic-deacon-beloved-by-nebraska-clergy-and-guatemalans/.