An 18-year-old student applying for a green card will likely face deportation after spending over 200 days in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Elder Chavez-Carranza lived with his sister in Albertville, Alabama, about 165 miles north of Montgomery, when he was detained by federal authorities after being arrested in late December for allegedly speeding and driving without a license. Despite having special immigrant juvenile status, which allows unaccompanied minors to apply for lawful permanent residency due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment, Chavez-Carranza spent more than 218 days in detention.

Now, family members and advocates say the teen’s future is still uncertain. “My brother is not a criminal,” Mayuri Chavez told Newsweek in an interview translated from Spanish. “He followed every rule, went to every court, did everything the government asked — and none of it mattered. They ignored his permission and took him anyway.”

Chavez, 26, said her brother has been deteriorating mentally and physically throughout his detention, often hiding the worst details so she won’t worry. However, he has shared experiences of going days without adequate amounts of food or being denied necessary dental care.

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Chavez-Carranza was stopped by an Alabama state trooper on Dec. 30 in Albertville, where he received citations for speeding and not having a driver’s license. The trooper also contacted ICE, who verified that Chavez-Carranza have been in the U.S. illegally, resulting in his detainment, said police told Newsweek.

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In March, Chavez-Carranza applied for deferred action, which could protect him from deportation if granted.

“The problem with that is they have required him to do fingerprints, allegedly, for a background check before they can approve the deferred action,” said Mecham.

“They keep giving him notices to appear for his fingerprints in Birmingham, but he’s detained. So, he’s missed his last three appointments for fingerprints.”

Mecham accused the government of “pulling the rug out” from under his client as he seeks lawful permanent U.S. residency.

“Who benefits from this?” Mecham asked. “Where is the benefit to society, to anyone? The government, you know, provided a legal pathway, so what are we accomplishing? Why are we doing this? He’s a high school student.”