US immigration
Children climb up the border fence between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, United States. Reuters

A woman whose four children were born in the US has been deported to Mexico. Maribel Trujillo Diaz who arrived in the US illegally in 2002 having fled violence in Mexico, was boarded onto a flight to her country on Wednesday (19 April), her lawyer told The Hill.

Despite all of her children being born in the US, her applications for asylum in the country failed on two separate occasions – although there is currently an appeal to reopen her case.

Trujillo Diaz's attorney told the website: "Maribel's deportation shows that the Trump administration is not focused on deporting criminals, but rather separating peaceful mothers from their American children.

"It is horrific that American children will be the ones to pay the price to these heartless policies."

Trump's immigration policies have caused concern in many quarters, with a number of Democrat politicians questioning what would become of children whose parents were deported, as well as the so-called dreamers (beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme), who had been allowed to remain in the US to complete their education.

The deportation of the mother of four has reportedly prompted protests in her home state of Ohio, and has left her family heartbroken.

A spokesperson for Trujillo's representatives Advocates for Basic Legal Equality added: "We are disappointed and outraged that ICE has chosen not to exercise prosecutorial discretion despite the thousands of calls and nationwide advocacy from community members, elected officials, and faith leaders."