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Father Of 2 Deported After 30 Years In US, Barred From Entering Country For 10 Years

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years has been deported to Mexico.

Jorge Garcia came to the U.S. with his family when he was 10 years old. He has no criminal record, pays taxes and has long sought legal status, according to his family. The 39-year-old landscaper was deported on Monday and can't return to the U.S. for a decade.

Garcia had faced an order of removal from immigration courts since 2009, but had been granted stays of removal under former President Barack Obama's administration.

Garcia learned in November that he'd been scheduled to be deported as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. A request from Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell pushed back the deportation date to allow Garcia to spend the holidays with his wife and two children, who are all U.S. citizens.

"We did not want to put up a Christmas tree because it was way too sad to even get to that point," said Cindy Garcia, his wife. "It was rough because we knew he was going to leave eventually. All we could do is make memories."

Immigrant advocates say deporting people like Garcia separates families.

"Rather than wait to see what reforms are made, immigration officials came into work on a national holiday to take Jorge away from his family," said Michigan United, a group that advocates for immigrant rights and other issues.

Jorge Garcia is too old to qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows young immigrants living in the country illegally who were brought here as children to work and study in the U.S.

"I got to leave my family behind, knowing that they're probably going to have a hard time adjusting," Jorge Garcia said. "Me not being there for them for who knows how long. It's just hard."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Khaalid Walls said in an email Tuesday he was looking into the matter.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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