The Nome Nugget

Affiliate Deported To Native Finland

SAN FRANCISCO, (P) -- William Keikkila, a 52-year-old draftsman, was arrested at 5 p.m., Friday night on deportation charges, was put on a plane and was out of the United States early Saturday before U. S. Immigration officials could confirm the arrest.

Bruce Barber, local immigration official, said Heikkila was deported to his native Finland on grounds he was a Communist Party member after entering the United States. Heikkila, not a U. S. citizen, entered this country at the age of 2 1/2 months.

Barber refused to say what plane Heikkila was aboard but said he definitely was "out of the country."

Lloyd McMurray, Heikkila's attorney, said a motion on the 11-year legal battle against the deportation was pending in a San Francisco Federal District Court and was scheduled to be heard May 2.

Barber said the motion did not bar the deportation.

"It's a frightful thing that they (immigration officials) can pick up a man and kidnap him like this," Mrs. Keikkila said. "There wasn't a chance for him to call me or to call his attorney or anything."

They took him off without any money or clothes. He was out on $5,000 bail. There was no point in them doing this."

Mrs. Heikkila said she wasn't told until nearly midnight what happened to her husband.

Mrs. Heikkila said her husband's Communist affiliations were "almost 20 years ago."

Barber said the U. S. Supreme Court ruled the deportation valid April 27, 1953, but Heikkila appealed again after marrying a U. S. citizen.

His appeal, Barber said, was denied by the U. S. District Court April 3, but findings of fact and conclusions of law were filed.

Barber said Heikkila's motion sought to amend these and didn't prevent the deportation.