by SAM DECOSTE | WGMEWed, August 20, 2025 at 3:48 PMUpdated Thu, August 21, 2025 at 11:22 AMMichel Tshimankinda was detained by ICE at his home on Westbrook on August 13. (Photo: Immigration and Customs Enforcement)SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) — Friends and family are hoping for some divine intervention after a Maine pastor was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).According to an ICE spokesperson, Michel Tshimankinda was taken into custody on August 13 at his home in Westbrook. He is the pastor at the Restoration Church of Maine.'We keep praying for him': Westbrook church pastor detained by ICE (WGME)Also read: Westbrook pastor detained by ICETshimankinda is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ICE said he was admitted into the U.S. on a tourist visa in March 2016, but his visa expired in September 2016, and that he overstayed his visa by nearly a decade. He is currently being held at a facility in Dover, New Hampshire. Tshimankinda's friend and fellow pastor, Tom Pequinot, is a pastor at LifeChurch in Gorham. He said Tshimankinda found meaning in Maine through the church. I think he’ll be fine. It’s just a process you have to go through,” Pequinot said. "He came from Africa and he had no other choice. He had to escape, he and his four kids, it could’ve been a lot worse for them.”Elizabeth Ross lives down the road from Restoration Church. She said she is alarmed an ICE detention could happen so close to home.'We keep praying for him': Westbrook church pastor detained by ICE (WGME)It feels like we are in this world of complete lawlessness now,” Ross said. "They're not criminals. We're calling them criminals because that's how we divide and create hate and fear."Also read: Driver in ICE custody following crash in Lewiston that left woman deadICE said Tshimankinda is in the country illegally. A spokesperson sent the following statement to WGME: Michel Kalala Tshimankinda is an illegal alien from the Republic of Congo. He entered the United States on a tourist visa in March 2016 and never left. He showed a disregard for U.S. immigration laws when he overstayed his visa by nine years. ICE officers apprehended him while conducting targeted enforcement operations in Portland, Maine on Aug. 13. Unlike the previous administration, President Trump and Secretary Noem will not turn a blind eye to violations of U.S. immigration laws. They remain dedicated to prioritizing safety and protecting the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders in a safe, secure and expeditious manner.”But Pequinot has faith that when the legal process plays out, Tshimankinda will be released, and his friend will be home soon.God has been involved from the beginning. I believe Michel’s in the jail or detention centers evangelizing the people to God. It’s kind of cool,” Pequinot said.Tshimankinda's family preferred not to provide comment at this time, but they started a GoFundMe page to pay for his legal fees and fight for his release. So far, it’s raised more than $24,000.