A Mexican citizen living in California was deported in November. The man was undergoing dialysis treatment at the time the deportation and removal proceedings were underway. He has since been successful in obtaining a humanitarian visa that allowed him to come back to the United States to receive his treatment.
The man lived in Pasadena before being deported to Tijuana, Mexico, last month. Authorities reportedly went to the man’s house saying they were looking for someone else. They asked him to step outside so they could inspect his car, but upon exiting the residence the man was arrested by immigration authorities. From that point, deportation and removal proceedings took only six hours.
When the man was deported, he reportedly arrived in Mexico with only five dollars to his name and with no contacts in the country. His girlfriend and their three American-born children were left behind in California. When the man’s girlfriend learned of the deportation, she began exploring every avenue possible to bring her boyfriend and father of her children back to the United States.
The situation was dire for the man. His health was in grave danger if he could not continue his dialysis treatments. Fortunately, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles agreed to step in and help, sending a letter to immigration authorities asking that the man be granted a humanitarian pardon because of his health. They also contacted Congressman Adam Schiff on the couple’s behalf in an effort to get the man back to the United States for treatment. Despite multiple attempts, the man was unable to obtain dialysis treatment under his medical insurance in Mexico.
Fortunately, the efforts of the CHIRLA, Congressman Schiff and the couple’s attorney — who took on the case on a pro bono basis — were successful. The man was issued a humanitarian visa and was allowed to reenter the United States. He was able to resume his dialysis treatment and was reunited with his family.
Source: Fox News, “Immigrant deported while on dialysis returns to U.S.,” Dec. 9, 2011