Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Wednesday that the Trump administration’s decision to deny a delay in the deportation of an Oakland nurse and her husband who have lived in the country for more than two decades was an “act utterly devoid of humanity.”

The California Democrat visited the family last week after reading a front-page Chronicle story about Maria Mendoza-Sanchez and Eusebio Sanchez, who plan to depart for their native Mexico late Wednesday with their 12-year-old son to start a new life, while leaving behind three daughters aged 16, 21 and 23 who have legal status.

It was Feinstein who informed Mendoza-Sanchez on Tuesday that last-minute legal efforts to keep them in the country had failed.

“This is a travesty, plain and simple, and evidence that Donald Trump’s immigration policy is nothing more than a hateful deportation program targeting law-abiding families,” Feinstein said in a statement. “It’s shameful and stands against the very ideals upon which this country was founded.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, defended the deportation order last week, saying the family’s case had gone through a lengthy review in immigration courts and, “neither of these individuals has a legal basis to remain in the U.S.”

The family decided to bring their son, Jesus, who is a U.S. citizen by birth, with them to Mexico due to his young age. But they believe it is better to leave behind their daughters, one of whom is a UC Santa Cruz student. The plan, for now, is for the older girls to raise the youngest, seeing her through two more years of high school.

Feinstein said the deportation of two people with deep ties to the country and no criminal record was a clear message about the administration’s immigration policy.

“By deporting Maria and Eusebio Sanchez,” she said, “the administration admits it will refuse to distinguish between criminals and families, proving once and for all that all undocumented individuals and families are priorities for deportation.”

Sen. Kamala Harris also weighed in on the case Wednesday, posting on Twitter: “A disgrace. My heart goes out to Maria & Eusebio. I will keep fighting for them & all families being targeted by these hateful policies.”

Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz