CHICAGO — The past few months have been particularly challenging for a family operating a sub shop in Humboldt Park.

The 63-year-old owner, who has spent many years in the United States, is currently being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amidst ongoing immigration proceedings, while his family urgently seeks assistance.

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The clock is ticking for the detainee, who now faces the prospect of deportation to Pakistan.

Asif Amin Cheema has remained in ICE custody since September after federal authorities enforced a long-standing removal order that had been dormant for decades.

“This removal order dates back to the early ’90s and has never been acted upon. Despite its existence, no enforcement measures had been taken against him,” explained immigration attorney William McLean.

Cheema has owned a sub shop in Humboldt Park for years and his family has now been trying to run it for the last few months as he goes through the immigration process.

After several attempts to appeal his deportation, the family is now running out of options to keep him in Chicago.

“It’s been a nightmare to say the least,” daughter Rabia Amin said. “We are very family oriented. We all live at home. We lean on our dad for everything, emotional support, financial support and it’s been very hard for us.”

ABC7 has reached out to DHS for details on his immigration status, but have not heard back.

Cheema’s family and attorney say he has no criminal record and his only hope was to build a life for his family in Chicago where they have lived for decades now.

“It still confuses us to this day because my dad had a valid work permit for years,” Amin said. “He wasn’t scamming anything. He wasn’t scamming the system. He had a green card interview earlier this year so that is why we are so puzzled as to how this removal can still exist.”

The family said they’ve been in touch with him, but they’re worried as he’s been transferred to multiple detention centers and has gone some days without medication which they say is crucial for the 63 year old man’s health.

The family said he was even hospitalized while in custody because of those medical conditions.

“It’s mental torture and its physically exhausting,” Amin said. “I mean just last night he was told he’s getting transferred out of Indiana. He was bought to Broadview and now he’s back in Indiana and we still don’t know why.”

The family and attorney are now searching for more last minute legal possibilities as the removal order from DHS may have Cheema deported as soon as Thursday.

“We are about exhausted and I mean that in a lament term and a legal term,” McLean said.

So Mr. Cheema can be deported any day now. The family is now hoping for one last ditch effort with the appeal process but there is no clear timeline at this point.