DEVILS LAKE (AP) - Immigration officials have ordered a Devils Lake hockey coach and high school gym teacher to return to his native Canada.

Rob McIvor says immigration officials told him late last month that he must return to Canada to refile immigration papers.

"We got a letter in the mail concerning this, and an immigration lawyer told me I had to go right back," McIvor said on Monday, from Gladstone, Manitoba, his hometown.

McIvor said blamed the problems on paperwork, which he believes was lost by immigration officials.

"I haven't been a citizen, but I applied for immigration status, and citizenship comes next," McIvor said. "We were kind of caught off guard by this."

McIvor is married and has two children. He had been teaching at Four Winds High School for several years. He also is an assistant hockey coach at Devils Lake High School.

Four Winds Superintendent Wayne Trottier says McIvor is no longer teaching at the school.

"He's unable to honor his contract because of the immigration paperwork problem, so he's no longer with us," Trottier said. "As far as coming back when it is solved, he'd have to reapply."

Devils Lake Superintendent Steve Swiontek said McIvor has been replaced by David Duckworth as assistant hockey coach for the rest of the season.

Swiontek said McIvor's immigration status was unknown by school officials.