By
Jennifer Stark, ACLU of Southern California at 10:40am
Ever Francisco Martinez-Rivas, 31, suffers from schizophrenia and hallucinations, and exhibits unexpected patterns of behavior. After getting into an argument with his stepfather that turned violent, he was taken into police custody.
Though Mr. Martinez is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and has lived here since the age of 9, current laws allow the federal government to deport Mr. Martinez to his birth country, El Salvador, because he lacks U.S. citizenship.