DETROIT, MICH. —  A man living in Michigan for nearly 30 years was deported this week, leaving behind his wife and two children.

Jorge Garcia gave his family a tearful hug as he boarded a plane to Mexico.

“That’s when the tears just started flowing, because we knew that was going to be it. There wasn’t much that we could do,” Jorge’s wife, Cindy, tells WXYZ.

Cindy says Jorge has been checking in with ICE and working to gain citizenship for the past 13 years.

“In total, we’ve given immigration over $125,000,” she says. “We’ve never done anything without the permission from immigration. Because anytime we leave the city, you have to tell them where you are going.”

However, during his last check-in with immigration, Jorge was told he had to leave the country by January 15.

Cindy tells WXYZ, that Jorge has no criminal record, not even a traffic ticket.

Their two children are devastated.

“It’s a nightmare. They’re sad. They’re depressed. They don’t really comprehend everything that’s going on. All they know is their dad is gone and they don’t know when they’re going to see him again,” she says.

Cindy is working to get Jorge back into the United States, but it could take up to 18 months just to get a hearing.

Source: WISH