Man needing transplant gets deportation reprieve

HARTFORD, Conn. — Federal immigration officials granted a six-month reprieve Thursday to a Connecticut immigrant facing deportation, a move his supporters say won’t be long enough to allow him to undergo a scheduled kidney transplant.

Dozens of people, including Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, rallied in front of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Hartford in support of Nelson Rosales Santos, 49, who was scheduled to be deported to Honduras on Monday, despite suffering from advanced renal failure.

Some held signs that read, “Where is Our Humanity” and “Stop Separating Families.”

“This case should be treated differently,” said Malloy. “After all, we were told by our president and attorney general that they were only going to go after the bad hombres. Well, he’s not a bad hombre.”

His family and supporters say Santos entered the country illegally but has lived in Stamford for 30 years, is married to a U.S. citizen and has three children, ages 19, 14 and 11, who all were Nelson Rosales Santos, an immigrant who suffers from renal failure, talks to reporters Thursday while standing next to his 14-year-old daughter, Samantha, during a rally in Hartford, Conn. Santos received a six-month stay of a deportation order Thursday, but that may not be long enough to allow him to undergo a kidney transplant.

born in the U.S.

He also has diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney failure, requiring dialysis every two days.

“I don’t want to die,” Santos said Thursday. “My kids and wife need me.”

Santos works as a chef and has routinely received waivers allowing him to stay in the U.S., his supporters said.

His wife has successfully petitioned immigration officials to allow her husband to be considered for permanent resident status. But because of his 30-yearold deportation order, he was told he must leave the country during that process, said Catalina Horak, who is working on Santos’ behalf with

the immigration support group Building One Community.

“I just don’t believe we are this vicious as a country,” Formica said. “This policy speaks otherwise.”

Santos, who has private insurance through his wife, had a surgery date scheduled for later this month, but doctors told him they would not do the procedure until they receive assurances that he will be available for 12 months of followup visits and treatment, Horak said.

Santos is willing to leave the country as required while awaiting his green card, Horak said, but can’t do that until his medical situation is resolved.