PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Washington senator called on ICE Monday to stop the deportation of a longtime Seattle small business owner, saying he was moved out of state before courts could consider emergency legal relief.The case centers on Eduardo Aguirre Esparza, a Seattle remodeling company owner who is married to a U.S. citizen and has lived in the city for 23 years. 2 semi-trucks collide on Highway 26 near Sandy, killing 1 driver Sen. Patty Murray said the man was detained by ICE and flown to Texas without notice to his family or attorney, and is demanding he be returned to western Washington so he can access legal counsel and due process protections."I am demanding that DHS return Eduardo to Washington state so that he may receive due process and have access to counsel—flying Eduardo to Texas away from his lawyers to try and deport him is fundamentally wrong and un-American." Murray said, "I hope others in Washington state will join me in calling for Eduardo's immediate return home so that the courts can fairly consider his case."CloseThanks for signing up!Watch for us in your inbox.Subscribe Now KOIN Morning Digest SIGN UP NOWAccording to the senator's office, Esparza's family suspected ICE intended to conduct an expedited deportation hearing to remove Eduardo from his home as quickly as possible and without representation of counsel.KOIN 6 has reached out to ICE for comment and has not heard back.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.