ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL

11/20/2014

Chinese college student convicted of fatal Seattle-area crash deported

SEATTLE — A 21-year-old Chinese man convicted of vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment for a 2012 Des Moines, Washington, accident was deported Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Yichun Xu was placed on a commercial flight back to China Thursday afternoon by ERO officers. The former Puget Sound Community College student came to the attention of ERO following his November 2012 arrest on multiple vehicular assault charges. Court records state Xu failed to stop at a stop sign and stuck another vehicle, killing the driver and severely injuring three passengers. At the time Xu was lawfully present in the country on a student visa.

Xu pleaded guilty in February to vehicular homicide and three counts of reckless endangerment. He was sentenced in March to 17 ½ months in state prison.

Xu came to ERO custody after his release from state prison and was placed in removal proceedings. An immigration judge ordered Xu removed Nov. 6. As part of the order, Xu is banned from re-entering the U.S. for 10 years.