CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - An Illinois congressman is in South Carolina to urge immigration agents to close a deportation case against a landscaper who has two children who are U.S. Citizens.

Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez accompanies the man on Wednesday to a hearing before Immigration and Customs Enforcement  officials in Charleston.

The agency announced this year deportations would focus on immigrants with criminal records and the South Carolina man has none. Gutierrez is one of two Illinois congressman seeking cases to test which immigrants will be allowed to stay.

Records show more than 1,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records have been deported from South Carolina under the Secure Communities Program.  

The agency has said illegal immigrants posing no security risk, and are classified in a dozen or so categories may stay.