PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A federal immigration judge has ruled to defer the deportation of a detainee from Somalia who was convicted years ago of possessing an illegal stimulant.

The judge ruled in August that Abdigani Faisal Hussein, of Portland, Maine, would likely be subject to torture in Somalia, so his removal from the country is being deferred under the Convention Against Torture. Hussein’s attorney, Ben Wahrer, said the ruling means Hussein can remain in the U.S., but he’s ineligible for numerous types of immigration relief because of his conviction.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Hussein in March 2018 because of his 2002 conviction for possession of khat, a stimulant grown in Africa and illegal in the U.S. He was eventually transferred to a New Hampshire correctional facility. He’s now with family in Portland.