ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A family has been left in shambles after a husband and father was deported to Mexico.

He was detained during a traffic stop in Robertson County. His wife, an American citizen, was reportedly behind the wheel.

She's now been left to raise their children on her own.

Hilario Martinez Garcia's family is heartbroken after immigration officials deported the father and husband to Mexico.

"He is a father, a husband and a hard worker," Mary Beth Holley, a family friend, said.

Holley's husband represented Hilario during his bond hearing. She has become friends with his wife, Chelsea White.

"She has three adorable children, 11, 9 and 6," she said. "She is also pregnant with another child, so her hands are full."

Holley said Hilario was detained during a DUI checkpoint stop near Springfield.

White was driving, and law enforcement asked the couple to pull over. That's when they took Hilario away in handcuffs.

"She couldn't say goodbye," Holley said. "She didn't know where he was for seven days, not a phone call or anything."

Hilario has lived in the United States for 25 years and worked as a handyman.

White and their children are U.S. citizens.

Right now, Hilario's attorney said he won't be allowed back into the United States for 10 years. That's a decade of missed birthdays, anniversaries and milestones.

News 2 reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security about this case but has not heard back.

If you want to help out the family, follow this link.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/man-deported-after-traffic-stop-in-robertson-county-family-torn-apart/