The sister of an Irishman facing deportation from the US says his family is devastated by his arrest.
Keith Byrne, a married father of 3 originally from Cork, has lived in the US for 12 years and runs his own business.
He was arrested last week in Philadelphia by US immigration officials as part of a government crackdown.
His family say he faces deportation after being denied a visa because of a minor drug possession charge from his time in Ireland.
Keith's sister Melinda says they're hoping US officials see sense and let him stay.
She says he went to immigration authorities in 2010 to adjust his status but his applicationa and appeals have been denied.
Federal agents will today begin a nationwide effort to arrest immigrants who have been issued final deportation orders. The raids will be conducted in ten major cities and will focus mainly on Central American families that crossed the U.S.- Mexico border.
President Trump said the crackdown is meant to remove criminals from the country. But the leaders in some of the targeted cities – including New York City, Los Angeles County, and San Francisco are pushing back against the effort.
The sweep is similar in scope to those carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since 2003. But this one is different, because it's part of Mr. Trump's plan to eventually deport millions of people who came to the country illegally.
But as immigration enforcement has become a central focus of the Trump administration, communities with large immigrant populations are pushing back. New York City mayor and presidential candidate Bill de Blasio has said the city will not help ICE in making arrests, and San Francisco mayor London Breed reminded residents of her city of their rights.
