US Representative Jimmy Panetta has said he hopes the Trump administration and immigration officials will "do the right thing" when it comes to the future of an Irish woman held in a US immigration detention facility.
Cliona Ward, who has lived legally in the United States for decades, was held by customs and border officials after she returned to California following a trip to Ireland to see her ill father.
The Democratic California Congressman, who has called for Ms Ward's release, said that what happens to her is at the discretion of the Trump administration.
However, it is his job, he said, to make officials aware of all of the facts surrounding the case so they can use that discretion in the "right way".
He told RTÉ News: "Part of our job is fighting back. Part of our job is standing up to bullies. Right now we have a bully in the White House who is picking on people like Cliona Ward.
"We [got to] make sure that not only do we stand up to them, that they realise what they are doing is wrong, and hopefully get to a point to convince them that Ms Ward is the type of person that should stay here."
Watch: Jimmy Panetta says he hopes the Trump administration will do the right thing
The 54-year-old Irish woman, a long-time resident of Santa Cruz, is currently being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in Washington state, over a 20-year-old "expunged non-violent" criminal conviction, according to her family.
"She was handcuffed, detained, and turned over to ICE agents, who are now moving to deport her," said her sister Orla Holladay on a GoFundMe page.
Ms Ward's family said they believe she could be in detention "for months".
Immigration reform a 'difficult fight' - Panetta
Mr Panetta, who is a former gang prosecutor, said immigration reform is a "difficult fight", but he is not going to "cower and cave in" as President Donald Trump’s policies leave immigrant communities feeling nervous.
He said: "I'm all for border security, but at the same time that has to be balanced out by ensuring there is proper immigration reform despite these types of incidents with Ms Ward, or with others, and despite this administration ignoring the rules and ignoring due process and ignoring courts and court orders.
"We're going to continue to fight not just for immigrants but fight for shared values."
Ms Holladay said that when Ms Ward returned to the US, she was detained by customs and border officials following an administrative meeting to present documents related to the expunged criminal conviction.
She wrote: "Despite having fully complied with the law, making reparations, making a clean record ever since, working full-time, paying taxes, and raising family - including caring for her chronically ill son - Cliona was instead taken into custody at what was supposed to be a routine meeting."
It is understood that Ms Ward is being detained at the Northwest Detention Centre in Tacoma in Washington state.
It is one of the largest detention centres in the US with a capacity of over 1,500 people.
