By Sophie Nieto-Munoz | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Meet the Indonesian Three

Harry Pangemanan is a handyman who was recognized Monday in Highland Park for his help in rebuilding homes destroyed by superstorm Sandy. He's been a fan of Barcelona's soccer team since he was 6-years-old, and idolized Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, his two favorite soccer players.

Yohanes Tasik works in a warehouse, where he distributes equestrian equipment. He loves playing games with his daughter and spoils her with toys, hoping to one day travel with her to other countries. New York City is one of the greatest places on Earth to him.

Arthur Jemmy went to law school, but wants to become a mechanic and live in Philadelphia. He drives a 2002 Honda Civic, which he treats like his child. He installed LED lights in it by himself while in his Highland Park home, and calls himself “the car guy.” He wants to learn about engines next.

The three Christian men from Indonesia lead very different lives, but they have two things in common - none of them have the proper paperwork to reside in the United State, and they are all seeking sanctuary in a church out of fear of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.

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Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Seeking sanctuary in Highland Park

The Reformed Church of Highland Park has been providing the men sanctuary, and they hope the walls will keep them safe from their orders of deportation. On Thursday, Pangemanan joined Tasik, who's been here for 14 days, and Jemmy, who hasn't stepped foot outside the church since Oct. 10, 2017.

They were welcomed by Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, an advocate for Indonesian Christians who have claimed religious persecution in Indonesia.

Two other members of the congregation, Gunawan Liem of Franklin Park and Roby Sanger of Metuchen, were detained while dropping their kids off at school Thursday morning. They are being held in Essex County Jail with notices of deportation.

After hearing of the incident, Gov. Phil Murphy rushed to the church, which has been housing immigrants for years, to meet with the individuals in sanctuary.

“They are valuable members of their community and there is absolutely no reason for ICE to prioritize their detaintment,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-6th) who joined Murphy at the church.

On Friday, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal criticized the arrests of Liem and Sanger.

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy, agents typically avoid arresting immigrants in "sensitive locations" like churches, schools and hospitals. Because of this, hundreds of these establishments have been providing refuge to undocumented immigrants at risk.

People from Asian countries account for 16 percent of all unauthorized immigrants in the U.S, according to the Center for Migration Studies. Roughly 115,680 of those immigrants live in New Jersey.

Kaper-Dale said that in his heart, housing unauthorized immigrants is the right thing to do, and he sees it as protecting his neighbors from the "abuse of government policies ... and an abusive president."

"Is the risk standing up, or not standing up? If we were hiding a mass murderer, that's one thing. All we want is to protect our neighbors," the former Green Party candidate for governor said.

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Harry Pangemanan

Pangemanan left Indonesia in 1993, fleeing religious persecution. He arrived in California with a B-1 visa, which he overstayed. After 9/11, he self reported to ICE to show he was not a danger to society, he said. They allowed him a stay of removal, requiring an annual check-in with an ICE officer. He was set to check in with ICE on Jan. 30.

Pangemanan moved to the East Coast to work in a warehouse, until he was picked up by ICE agents in 2009 and detained for 68 days. They nearly deported him, but the Reformed Church of America helped him get another stay of removal.

The 47-year-old then began working as a construction worker, helping rebuild 209 homes affected by Hurricane Sandy in Monmouth and Ocean counties, he said.

On Jan. 15, he received the 2018 Dr. Matin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the Highland Park Human Relations Commission for his strong leadership and community service.

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Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

ICE attempted to pick him up at his Highland Park home on Thursday while getting ready to take his oldest daughter to school. He saw an unmarked SUV at the end of his driveway and called his pastor, who brought him to the church for sanctuary.

Pangemanan now sleeps in a cramped Sunday School classroom on a mattress. He is unable to leave the church, and has been cancelling job sites. He said ICE has disrupted the life he lives here - one of service, faith and love.

“I feel (deportation) will destroy my dreams,” he said in the church on Friday, his voice breaking. “But not just my dreams, my children’s lives.”

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Arthur Jemmy

In April 2000, Jemmy arrived from Sulawesi, Indonesia. The 17-year-old was fleeing religious persecution as well, recalling clearly the time he was at a church service with his family when an extremist group entered and decapitated his priest with a machete before burning down the church.

“Since that day, my parents told me, you have to get out,” he said, noting he also came on a B-1 tourist visa and overstayed. After 9/11 he self reported to ICE, receiving a stay of removal.

“I know I overstayed but I keep working. This country comes from taxes you pay — I pay taxes, I learned English, I check in with ICE. I do nothing criminal,” he said.

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Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Jemmy’s fear of deportation increased the day Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2015, he said. He said he trusted when Trump said his administration would only target undocumented people with criminal records.

“I was thinking, ‘ugh, this guy can’t see his wife next to him is immigrant?’ I still keep thinking positive, I think he will have a change of heart. But he’s broken his promise,” Jemmy said.

Jemmy was set to report to ICE on Sept. 25, but feared deportation after four of his friends were detained during their check-ins. He received a letter from ICE, explaining he would become a fugitive if he did not check in by Oct. 9 — Jemmy walked into the church that day. ICE showed up at his front door on Oct. 10, but left empty-handed.

“I’m doing my best. I want to be a citizen,” said Jemmy, who has applied for asylum multiple times, only to have it denied.

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Yohanan Tasik

In search of a better life and a better job, Tasik arrived in New Jersey in 1989. He worked at a restaurant in Rumson for a bit before taking the warehouse job he held until Jan. 11, a job he'd held for 13 years.

He met his Indonesian wife in New York, where they married. Between his job and his active toddler, he said he has his hands full. But he finds time to read up on immigration policy, looking for ways to appeal his denied motion for asylum.

“I like it here. I have a better job. I have a better life,” he said. “For me, this is home.”

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Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Tasik got a call at 5 a.m. on Jan. 12 that an officer was coming to scan the ICE-issued ankle bracelet that he had unwillingly worn since October. He always answered the door with his young child to avoid being separated, which worked as a tactic with compassionate ICE agents, he said.

But on that Friday morning, he knew ICE was going to come back to take him, so he went to the church. Agents were at his door within a matter of hours, but he said he felt safe in the walls of the Reformed Church of Highland Park.

“I like it but only because of safety,” Tasik said. “But I need to find out the process for the next step. I hope the ACLU helps me. I hope.”

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Sophie Nieto-Munoz | For NJ.com

The next steps

On Friday, the three men signed privacy release forms for the offices of Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Robert Menendez and Pallone, which will allow the representatives to speak to ICE agents about specifics of their cases, Kaper-Dale said.

"It's our hope they'll be able to help, not just these guys but help the two in detention," he said. "The calls to administration might show some action."

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