BC-OH--Woman Deported,131

January 31, 2012 19:55 GMT

Feds deport woman to Mexico, activists had rallied

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Federal immigration authorities have deported a 22-year-old Mexican woman from Ohio over the objections of activists who feared she could be suicidal.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports ( ICE deports former Reading woman | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com ) that Yanelli Hernandez was returned to her homeland Tuesday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said her removal was ordered by an immigration judge, that she was in the country illegally and was convicted in Butler County on driving under the influence and forgery counts.

Supporters warned that she had attempted suicide twice, and immigration rights activists phoned federal offices this week to urge that she be allowed to stay.

An ICE letter denying her request to stay said there was no documentation to support claims of facing hardships from longstanding mental illness.

The woman had been in the United States since age 13.

Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, Enquirer.Com

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