Two congressional representatives from Michigan sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asking it to stop the deportation of a journalist from Mexico who is on a fellowship at the University of Michigan.

Emilio Gutiérrez Soto came to the U.S. from Mexico after facing threats because of his reporting on Mexico's military. He applied for asylum, but last week, an immigration judge in Texas ordered that he be deported, saying his testimony failed to show that he would be targeted if he returned to Mexico. Gutiérrez Soto's attorney said he would appeal the decision of Judge Robert Hough.

In the letter, U.S. House Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, called for his release:

“The University of Michigan community, members of the media, advocates for press freedom around the country, and many Americans continue to share our deep concerns about Mr. Gutiérrez Soto’s safety should he return to Mexico,” Dingell and Upton wrote. “Mexico remains the deadliest country for journalists worldwide that is not engaged in armed conflict, and two journalists have already been murdered in the country this year. Given this set of facts, along with the legitimate documented concerns surrounding Mr. Gutiérrez Soto’s safety, we strongly support his request for asylum."

According to a report in the Associated Press, eight journalists were killed in Mexico last year in connection with their reporting work, more than any other country besides Afghanistan.

A spokesman for ICE, Khaalid Walls, told the Free Press: "The case is currently in litigation, so we’ll decline comment. With regard to the letter, ICE will respond through appropriate channels to any congressional correspondence."

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Soto and his son fled Mexico in 2008 and requested asylum at a border crossing in New Mexico, reported the Associated Press.

In 2017, an immigration judge denied the asylum request by Gutiérrez Soto and his son. They were detained in a Texas facility in December 2017, then released in July of last year.

Their attorney, Eduardo Beckett, said they are under a "dark cloud ... which causes much anxiety and stress not knowing the final result," reported the Associated Press.

Gutiérrez Soto is a 2018-19 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalists at the University of Michigan, "where he has studied issues regarding the safety and freedom of the press while doing service as an invaluable resource to the community at large," read the letter from the two U.S. House representatives.

Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Follow him on Twitter @nwarikoo. The Associated Press contributed to this report.