A Mesa man at risk of deportation back to Mexico is fighting to stay in the U.S.
Marco Tulio Coss says he has been living and working in the United States for 18 years.
Back in 2009, he was pulled over and arrested for driving without a license.
Coss was given an order for deportation but was allowed to stay in the country and work as long as he showed up for his appointments. Coss has honored his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appointments and complied with ICE policy multiple times, according to Coss and his attorney Ravindar Arora.
Arora will file a "stay of removal" and asylum for Coss.
ICE Spokesperson Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe released the following statement:
"All reporting requirements for those checking in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are determined on a case by case basis. The frequency and duration are dependent on many factors including, but not limited to, pending appeals or petitions, issuance of travel documents, or future hearings before an immigration judge.
Aliens on the non-detained docket may be subject to various forms of supervision, such as reporting requirements, travel restrictions, and enrollment in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) Program (including telephonic reporting or Global Positioning System monitoring). The appropriate conditions of release are determined on a case-by-case basis after a review of the individual facts of the case."
O'Keefe says between January and March 2017, ICE removed 5,283 people from Arizona. Of those, 3,074 had been convicted of a crime.
Below are deportation numbers for January to March for 2016 and 2017. Phoenix area of responsibility (AOR) includes the entire state of Arizona:
January 2016:
Convicted criminal removals: 820
Non-criminal removals: 903
Total removals: 1,723
February 2016:
Convicted criminal removals: 834
Non-criminal removals: 776
Total removals: 1,610
March 2016:
Convicted criminal removals: 1,023
Non-criminal removals: 669
Total removals: 1,722
January 2017:
Convicted criminal removals: 983
Non-criminal removals: 797
Total removals: 1,780
February 2017:
Convicted criminal removals: 977
Non-criminal removals: 636
Total removals: 1,613
March 2017:
Convicted criminals: 1,114
Non-criminal removals: 776
Total removals: 1,890
