A Butler County woman scheduled for deportation remains in the U.S. as of Tuesday afternoon.
An attorney for Maribel Trujillo Diaz says the Mexican consulate is confirming to her that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is transferring Diaz to a detention facility in Louisiana.
Attorney Emily Brown with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) says it is common for ICE to move people around in situations like this. Though she says she hasn't spoken with her client, this is discouraging and likely upsetting for Diaz. She also speculates the goal is to get her client out of Ohio. It is possible she could be moved again, says Brown.
Maribel Trujillo Diaz is currently awaiting a ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on an emergency stay request.
In a statement ICE says, "The removal will go forward unless the court renders a decision on the pending petition."
The mother of four was picked up unexpectedly last week despite completing regular check-ins with immigration officials.
According to federal authorities, she entered the United States illegally in 2002 and has used up all legal appeals. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which has been advocating on her behalf, says she fled Mexico after being targeted by cartels for refusing to work for them.
Her advocates say she has no criminal history. The youngest of her four children, a three-year-old daughter, has seizures and requires special care.
Sen. Sherrod Brown says he personally called ICE asking the agency to reconsider her case. Sen. Rob Portman's office also says he is trying to "facilitate a solution."
