A 39-year-old man who had been living in the United States for three decades has been deported to Mexico due to US President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Jorge Garcia moved to the US with his family when he was 10 years old. He had been living with his wife and two children in Detroit where he was working as a landscaper, the Detroit Free Press reported.
He was deported back to Mexico on Monday as Americans celebrated Martin Luther King Day.
Footage of Mr Garcia hugging his sobbing wife Cindy, 15-year-old daughter Soleil, and 12-year-old son Jorge Jr at Detroit Metropolitan Airport has been shared on social media.
Jorge Garcia had been living in the United States for three decades. Source: Detroit Free Press
Two Immigration and Customers Enforcement agents and supporters holding up signs reading 'Stop Separating Families' can be seen in the footage.
Mr Garcia's wife Cindy, who is a US citizen, told CNN: "That's when the tears started flowing because we knew that was going to be it. There wasn't much more we could do."
She said her last words to her husband before he got on the plane were "I love you and I'm going to miss you."
Mr Garcia is one of millions of people who have been affected by US President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.
Mr Garcia could have been protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allows children of undocumented parents to stay in the US under a renewable two-year visa, if he had been a year younger.
His wife said he had been reporting to immigration for 13 years as he struggled to find a path to citizenship, and had spent a total of $US125,000 on lawyers and fees to resolve the issue.
The father-of-two faced an order of removal in 2009 but was granted extensions under the Obama administration.
Ms Garcia urged Mr Trump to "fix this broken immigration system" and help others like her husband "find a right way to citizenship".
She said her husband had no criminal record and paid his taxes.
"He's not a criminal. Yes, he was brought here at 10 years old and yes, he entered the country illegally. But he has no criminal record and his case needs to be looked at individually because he deserves to be here in a country where he is known, not in Mexico," Ms Garcia said.
Ms Garcia said their children were "sad" and "depressed" about their father's deportation.
"I tell them to be strong, I tell them we're going to get through. We're not the only family that's out there. It affects 11 million other people. But at least I can come forward and tell my story because I am a US citizen and I do not have to hide in any shadows," Ms Garcia said.
"All they know is their dad is gone and they don't know when they're going to see him again."
