LOS ANGELES, March 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. government is proceeding with a deportation case against an illegal immigrant whose family said he died in August.
The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that Nasin Rivera died in San Bernardino County in August and his body was shipped to his native El Salvador for burial. But the federal government is proceeding with the deportation case against him, the newspaper said.
Attorneys for Rivera called the case a waste of resources.
"To us, it's a matter of principle -- a dead person should not be deported," said immigration attorney Edgardo Quintanilla.
Blanca Ramirez, who was divorced from Rivera but still lived with him, said the attorney from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told her that the death certificate copy provided to immigration officials by their attorney wasn't sufficient to close the case.
Immigration spokeswoman Virginia Kice said generally, if an illegal immigrant dies while in proceedings, the attorney must provide evidence that the person is, in fact, deceased. Typically, a certified copy of the death certificate is enough, she said.
"The bottom line is the government is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the immigration hearing process," Kice said.
