SPOKANE, Wash. — Martin Diaz, a Spokane man who was acquitted of assaulting a federal officer this week, is expected to be deported to Mexico.
Diaz was arrested by Border Patrol in April because he was undocumented. Ring doorbell camera shows Diaz being tackled on his front lawn during the arrest. He was charged with assaulting a federal officer.
Although Diaz was acquitted during his trial, he remains in the Kootenai County Jail and faces deportation. His wife Kendall said the situation is complicated.
“It’s bittersweet is the best way to explain it,” Kendall Diaz said. “I’m so beyond grateful that we were able to get past these criminal allegations and get past that portion of this whole process.”
Border Patrol continues to hold Martin Diaz while deportation moves forward. Kendall said she wants the process to speed up so she can reunite with her husband.
She won’t know where Martin is until he reaches Mexico. She can track his movement through websites, but the information is delayed.
“There’s websites where I can track his movement but it’s usually pretty delayed,” she said. “Essentially I’ll get a call when he gets his cellphone back when he’s in Mexico.”
The couple has been separated for six months. Kendall said their first physical contact came after his court hearing.
“At this point, I’m just so excited to see my husband,” she said. “I haven’t seen him in six months. The first time I got to touch him in six months was after his court hearing. That was a really big deal, they let us hold each other.”
Kendall has packed up their house and plans to move to Mexico with their four dogs. She said deportation typically comes with a 10-year ban from re-entering the U.S., but waivers can shorten that time.
“Ultimately, the goal is that we will move back to the U.S. and we will have all of our paperwork in order prior to coming back,” Kendall Diaz said.
She said they will work on getting Martin’s green card as quickly as possible.
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