Federal authorities have canceled the temporary deferred status of an illegal immigrant who is the face of so-called “dreamers” in the Atlanta area, opening the door to her possible deportation.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement stripped Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections from Jessica Colotl, a 28-year-old Mexican national, because she admitted to making a false statement to law enforcement following an arrest in 2010. A government lawyer asked an immigration judge to issue a deportation order on May 3, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
ICE confirmed Wednesday that Colotl’s case falls within with government policy not to offer protected status to certain categories of illegal immigrants. Officials have canceled DACA status for about 1,500 people since the start of the program in 2012 because of “criminality or gang affiliation concerns,” agency spokesman Bryan Cox said in a statement.
“Deferred action does not, in any way, prevent (the Department of Homeland Security) from moving forward with execution of a removal order,” Cox added.