GENERAL NEWS

Deportation fears leave Church of Pentecost branch in North Columbus empty

A video shared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, shows the church’s wide parking lot in Ohio emptier than usual, following an ongoing wave of mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States. These deportations began in January 2025, after Donald Trump’s second inauguration on January 20.

The district pastor of the Church of Pentecost USA Inc., North Columbus, Jehovah-Jireh Temple, Samuel Koomson, expressed concern that 50 percent of his congregation is staying home instead of attending church for fear of being deported.

“It is painful to see that the state gives us food to distribute to them. The community comes—those who are not even members would come and take the food. Now, we put the food out there, but they are not even coming,” he lamented.

On January 23, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began carrying out raids on sanctuary cities, detaining and deporting hundreds of illegal immigrants. The Trump administration reversed previous policies and granted ICE permission to conduct raids at schools, hospitals, and places of worship.

Following his victory in the 2024 United States presidential election, Trump stated that he had “no choice” but to commence mass deportations upon assuming office in 2025.

Regarding the financial costs, Trump said, “When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries, they’re going back to those countries because they’re not staying here. There is no price tag.”

The former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump from January 2017 to June 2018, Tom Homan, declared that he would “run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen” in 2025.

In November 2024, Homan proposed cutting federal funding from states that do not comply with deportation plans.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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