Report: Worthington Resident Who Fled Guatemala Faces Deportation
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 41-year-old Worthington resident who fled violence in Guatemala more than 20 years ago now faces deportation.
According to a report from The Globe, Jacobo Gabriel Tomas fled Guatemala as a 16-year-old and arrived in the U.S. in 1992.
Tomas, now a married man with four American-born children, wasn't considered a priority under Obama-era rules. But 12 years ago, Tomas accepted a small fine for falsified work documents, meaning he qualifies for deportation under Trump-era rules.
Under the new Trump-era rules, undocumented immigrants with any criminal record are a priority. Tomas has tried renewing his prosecutorial discretion, but has been denied multiple times by ICE.
Now, Tomas, The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and members of his church are asking community members to call ICE's Minnesota Director of Field Operations, Scott Baniecke at (612) 843-8600 Ext. #9, and ask him to approve Jacobo Gabriel Thomas' stay of deportation.
Tomas could face deportation as early as Oct. 2.
