An Iowa pastor was deported to his native country Honduras even after hundreds of supporters across the country protested against his removal, The Gazette reports.

Max Villatoro was flown back to Honduras overnight Thursday, violating President Barack Obama's commitment to remove "felons, not families," said the pastor's attorney. 

Villatoro has no legal way to be back with his wife and four children in the United States after the removal, according to Ohio attorney David Leopold.

"This is exactly what the president said he wasn't going to do. He said 'felons, not families,'" Leopold said. "Today, the president broke his promise."

Immigration authorities arrested over 2,000 undocumented immigrants on March 3 who were convicted of crimes as part of a national sweep. Villatoro was a one of the immigrants arrested in the sweep.

Villatoro was convicted of drunken driving and tampering with records back in 1999, but has since become a Mennonite pastor with a Spanish-speaking congregation in Iowa City.

Over 40,000 people have signed a petition to stop his deportation, and 200 hundred of those supporters marched in protest Tuesday evening in Iowa City.

Leopold said he has never seen so much support for one client since representing undocumented immigrants for the past 25 years.

"I've handled a lot of cases with people who have one foot on a plane, and I've never seen an outpouring like this," Leopold said. "The fact that Villatoro was deported shows many other families are in danger."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents said Villatoro was a priority for deportation because of his criminal record, Huffington Post reports.

Advocates argue that the 41-year-old pastor has already paid for his crimes and has become a pillar to his community ever since.

His wife came to the United State as a child and is allowed to remain temporarily under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Obama announced in November that ICE should focus on deporting convicted criminals, those who pose national security risks and recent border-crossers.