A press conference was held Friday in Hartford to draw attention to the case of Luis Barrios, a father of four.
Advocates say his case isn’t as simple as “illegal immigrant, law’s the law, get out.”
Barrios entered the country illegally in 1992 and a judge ordered him deported in 1998, according to The Connecticut Post.
But U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro points out Barrios didn’t leave his native Guatemala on a lark — nefarious folk were looking to kill him. She wrote a letter to immigration officials asking them to hold off on deporting Barrios.
Several of Barrios’ family have been murdered in Guatemala, where civil war rages, The Hartford Courant reports.
His brother and father are both dead as a result.
Supporters say immigration officials have been allowing him to stay in the country for years, during which he’s raised a family and established himself as a solid member of the community. He attends church regularly, and his fellow congregants have submitted letters of support.
Barrios was pulled over by state police for a busted tail light in 2011 — then ICE agents got wind of him. Since then he’s checked in with them regularly, according to a press release.
But, during a routine check-in with immigration agents in February, Barrios was told he would be deported on May 4.
What changed? Tough-talking Donald Trump had moved into the White House, advocates said in a prepared statement.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the agency was simply giving him enough time to get ready for the boot, according to The Connecticut Post.
Barrios’ was denied asylum in the U.S. His family wants the U.S. to wait until the appeal of his asylum application is heard.
Barrios did not attend Friday’s rally in Hartford. He was busy cleaning septic tanks in Fairfield County, according to several news reports.
