The federal government has granted a Mexican woman a 30-day pass to travel to Tucson to see her dying husband.
Customs and Border Protection had denied Gloria Arellano’s request earlier this week citing a 10-year ban she has for living in the country illegally after overstaying a visa.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva, along with local elected officials, held a press conference Thursday calling on the government to grant the family a “sliver of compassion.”
"I’m really glad they reversed their original decision, I think the de la Rosa family advocated very strongly for this very necessary momentary reunification of their family in this sad time," Grijalva said.
"Without the voices of thousands, reuniting this family would not have been possible. We must continue to seek out a compassionate way to deal with our immigration crisis that for too long has separated families,” he said.
Grijalva's office, whose staff has known the family for nearly a decade, also worked with the family to present additional information to CBP, including a more detailed medical letter, pictures, school transcripts and a copy of the previous parole Arellano was granted in 2011, when her husband suffered his first stroke. An online petition also has more than 11,000 signatures by Friday morning.
"I was in complete disbelief when I found out," said Bill de la Rosa, 24, after hearing the news this morning. "I immediately started imagining her on this side, in her old home, and us as a family."
This decision means "the world," to his family, added the graduate student.
Arsenio de la Rosa, 85, is currently in a health center after suffering his second stroke and has been given only a few weeks to live.
Arellano has lived in Nogales, Sonora since 2009, when she was barred from coming back to the United States after going to an appointment for a green card at the U.S. Consulate in Juárez, Mexico, on the advice of her attorney.
Due to her prior immigration history she was automatically barred from coming back.
Since then, her four children have learned to care for each other and their elderly father, often relying on a network of community they built around themselves.
Arellano said she was extremely grateful to the government and everyone else who supported her.
When she got the call from Bill she said she felt chills go up and down her body, "tell me it is not a joke, that you are not joking," she said.
"It's true mom, it's true," he replied.
"I know hope is the last thing to die," she said.
