A man detained during the May 28 immigration operation at Don Patron in Weston has been deported to Guatemala, according to a Wednesday report from WBOY.
The station identified him as Erick Cristal Cumes and attributed confirmation of the removal to his wife, Lauren Cristal. WBOY reported that Cumes had agreed to leave voluntarily but remained in federal immigration custody for roughly three months before he was sent to Guatemala.
The removal concludes a case that drew sustained local attention after federal agents detained workers at Don Patron locations in Weston and Bridgeport. Earlier reporting from WDTV said Cumes was among more than a dozen employees detained May 28.
The case also produced a federal-court dispute over where his challenge to continued detention should be heard. WBOY reported that U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh ruled June 26 that West Virginia had jurisdiction over the habeas case. An immigration court denied Cumes' asylum request July 7, according to reports from both WBOY and WDTV.
WDTV reported July 16 that Cristal said the family waived the right to appeal the removal order. She said an appeal might delay deportation but could also keep Cumes detained for many additional months. At that time, he was being held at Moshannon Valley Detention Center in Pennsylvania.
WBOY's new report also relays Cristal's account that her husband was ill, exhausted and had lost weight after leaving custody. Those health details come from the family and have not been independently confirmed. She told the station she is working to move to Guatemala to join him.
The September 2 WBOY report contains the family's confirmation of the deportation. The July 16 WDTV report documents the earlier asylum decision and decision to waive an appeal.