A Lexington man is now in ICE custody after going to Louisville for an immigration appointment.
David Reyes Mejias wife, Rhonda Whaley, says a prior deportation order surfaced during that appointment, leaving his family with questions about what happens next. We looked into what a prior order can mean while someone is pursuing a new immigration case.
Reyes Mejias friends describe him as the kind of guy who seems to know just about everyone.
He can tell a good story. He makes everyone laugh, Whaley said.
But for more than a week now, Reyes Mejia hasnt been home.
Whaley says everything changed during the couples immigration appointment in Louisville, when she says federal immigration officials delivered unexpected news.
They told me that ICE was going to come and get him because he had the deportation order, Whaley said.
Whaley says the order itself wasnt a surprise. She says Reyes Mejia had been open about his immigration history as they worked through the process.
We kind of anticipated something because he was honest with everything, following the paperwork. Like he knew that he had the deportation order, but he was deported, Whaley said.
LEX News reached out to ICE about Reyes Mejias detention. After a couple of days, ICE responded saying, We will research this and respond as soon as possible.
As Whaley works to understand her husbands case, we asked immigration attorney Dallin Lykins what a pending immigration application means when theres already a prior removal order.
Just having another immigration application out there pending doesnt necessarily eradicate or erase a prior removal order, Lykins said.
What happens next in Reyes Mejias case remains unclear. Lykins says immigration cases can vary depending on a persons history, prior orders and what legal options may be available.
It doesnt necessarily mean deportation is imminent. They have the ability to request a bond hearing and potentially be released on a bond. They also have the ability to defend and file applications while theyre in custody, Lykins said.
As Reyes Mejias family waits for answers, his friends are waiting for something else: to have him back home.
I love you, man, and I hope youre doing well. Were all thinking about you and just really cant wait to get you back home, Eric Dickerson said.
ICE has not yet provided additional details about Reyes Mejias detention or what comes next in his case. We will update this story once the agency responds.
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