The Home Office will pursue the deportation of two men freed from a dawn raid in Glasgow last week.
Lakhvir Singh and Sumit Sehdev were released from Border Force detention on Thursday after a community protest on Kenmure Street, Pollokshields.
Large crowds swarmed an immigration van and chanted "let them go, they are our neighbours" until police released the pair on public safety grounds.
One demonstrator even lay underneath the van for hours as others blocked the vehicle from leaving.
But despite a major backlash and public condemnation for the Eid raid, a Home Office source has claimed that Mr Singh, a chef, and Mr Sehdev, a mechanic, will still be deported.
The source told the Times : “They will still be detained and deported at a later date.
“We will continue to tackle illegal immigration and the harm it causes.”
Both men, aged in their thirties, have lived in the UK for several years.
The Home Office now faces a legal challenge that could delay the deportation.
Robina Qureshi, 56, a human rights campaigner from Pakistan and director of Positive Action in Housing, a migrant charity, said: “We are exploring what legal actions there are to take action against the Home Office.
"They have been living and working peacefully in the community for years and it’s just a matter of not having the right paperwork. They are not criminals, they are not costing anybody anything.
"Detaining them will only rack up a bill for the taxpayer.”
The Home Office said: “The UK government is tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes, often to the most vulnerable people, by removing those with no right to be in the UK.
“The operation in Glasgow was conducted in relation to suspected immigration offences, and the two Indian nationals complied with officers.
“The UK government continues to tackle illegal migration in all its forms and our new plan for immigration will speed up the removal of those who have entered the UK illegally.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
