A Catholic deacon at Saint Jude Shrine of the West in San Diego told his congregation he plans to self-deport after his legal resident status was revoked, the San Diego Diocese confirmed Monday.

Churchgoers said the deacon made the announcement himself during mass at noon on Sunday, adding that he would be going to Tijuana in Mexico. Another parishioner said the same announcement was also made during the earlier mass.

Churchgoers said the deacon told the congregation he came to the United States when he was 13 years old and had served the St. Jude community for roughly four decades.

The Scripps News Group station in San Diego is not naming the deacon while we work to confirm details about his background and circumstances.

On Monday, the Catholic Diocese of San Diego confirmed the deacon was a legal resident and that he had agreed to self-deport.

However, the diocese could not provide additional information, including how long he worked for the church, whether he had worked in other locations, or if the diocese was working to help with his immigration case.

Attempts to reach the deacon and his attorney about what prompted the self-deportation were unsuccessful.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

This story was originally published by Laura Acevedo with the Scripps News Group in San Diego.