Jacob Leonce, a 45-year old man originally from St. Lucia who has lived in the US for close to a decade, has been deported by US immigration. Leonce, a married father of two sons, was first notified in December by immigration authorities that renewal of his work visa was being denied and that he would be deported in February. Since December, local activists, congregants at Leonce’s church and state legislators have worked to try and keep Leonce in Massachusetts, USA. But their efforts turned out to be for naught, as Leonce was sent back to his home nation Monday after being held over the weekend at ICE’s Burlington facility, the same place his work visa was denied a renewal. His attorney said that Leonce had dealt with a number of attorneys since immigrating to the United States in 1999, none of whom provided him with the proper assistance in becoming a legal citizen.
