Federal judge to soon issue ruling in Livermore father’s deportation case

SAN FRANCISCO A federal judge on Tuesday noted she will soon issue a ruling in a episode that could potentially give a Livermore father deported to Mexico a path back to the U S to be reunited with his family For Miguel Lopez who was deported this past summer the decision in the U S District Court of Northern California could be his last chance to return to the Tri-Valley where he raised his family and worked as a welder at a vineyard U S District Judge Trina Thompson after hearing from Lopez s attorney and an assistant U S attorney took the arguments under submission and expects to issue a tentative or full order by the next court date set for Oct Lopez who is living outside of Mexico City did not remotely attend the Tuesday afternoon hearing held in a San Francisco federal courtroom Afterward Lopez s attorney Saad Ahmad disclosed he viewed the hearing as a positive step forward for Lopez s episode I think we have a chance I do believe we have a chance Ahmad commented The judge wants this situation to be decided Elizabeth Kurlan an assistant U S attorney declined to comment outside of the courtroom Lopez mounted a legal defense after he was detained while appearing at a status hearing in San Francisco s immigration court taken to Bakersfield and dropped off by federal functionaries at the U S -Mexico territory line near Tijuana in June The U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement s swift removal of Lopez then came the night before Judge Thompson ordered that he be allowed to remain in the U S writing that the situation dripped with inequalities On Tuesday Kurlan had sought for the judge to dismiss Lopez s affair on grounds that his attorney s arguments were moot Ahmad countered that Lopez never had an opportunity to argue for permanent residency and that his rights were violated when he was whisked away without a proper hearing According to Ahmad an immigration judge granted him the right to stay in the U S in only to have another court reverse lesson in He further argued that the district court should have jurisdiction over the matter calling Lopez s development very unique Before she makes a determination Thompson required that Ahmad provide incident law he cited at Tuesday s hearing Lopez meanwhile was visited last month by Congressman Eric Swalwell whose district includes Livermore On Sept Swalwell wrote a bill H R petitioning Congress to grant Lopez citizenship and allow him to return to the US The bill is awaiting approval by the U S House of Representatives Check back for updates to this emerging story