Ossining Teen Diego Puma Will Likely Be Deported On Friday

OSSINING, NY - Ossining teen Diego Puma will likely be deported to Ecuador on Friday after federal immigration officials denied his final appeal to stay in the country, according to Carola Bracco, executive director of Neighbors Link.

Neighbors Link, a Mount Kisco organization that works with Latino immigrants in Northern Westchester, has been offering assistance to Puma.

"We are deeply disappointed with the decision by ICE to move forward with the deportation to Ecuador of our client, Diego Puma Macancela," Bracco said in a provided statement. "It is likely he will leave the United States on Friday, as will his mother. Diego is leaving his home, his family, and friends behind to return to a country where retaliatory gang violence—possibly even death—await him."

Word of Puma's Friday deportation was first reported by The Journal News and Daily Voice.

Plans to deport Puma, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, provoked a backlash among some community members after he was detained just prior to Ossining High School's prom, Patch previously reported.

"Diego is leaving his home, his family, and friends behind to return to a country where retaliatory gang violence—possibly even death—await him," Bracco continued. "Diego and his family asked us to express their profound gratitude to everyone who supported his cause and worked hard to keep him in this country. He deeply values the education he received at Ossining High School and is very sad that he came so close to graduating but in the end was not allowed to accept his diploma or attend his senior prom."

A Care2 petition demanding that Puma's deportation be halted has garnered more than 22,000 signatures.

Photo: A screen shot image of Diego Puma, from Care2.