Phoenix immigrant deported to Mexico amid protests

PHOENIX -- An immigrant mother in Phoenix granted leniency during the Obama administration was deported to Mexico on Thursday in what activists said was an early example of how President Donald Trump plans to carry through on his vow to crack down on illegal immigration.

The case of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos became a rallying cry for immigrant groups. Her arrest prompted a raucous demonstration in downtown Phoenix late Wednesday as protesters blocked enforcement vans from leaving a U.S. immigration office. Seven people were arrested.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer referred questions to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which said in a statement Thursday on Twitter the agency "will remove illegal aliens convicted of felony offenses as ordered by an immigration judge."

Garcia de Rayos was among workers arrested years ago in one of then-sheriff Joe Arpaio's first investigations into Phoenix-area businesses suspected of hiring immigrants who had used fraudulent IDs to get jobs.