Man scheduled for transplant granted deportation reprieve

By Pat Eaton-Robb

HARTFORD, Conn. — Federal immigration officials granted a six-month reprieve on 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.”

Santos received the stay of deportation from ICE officials just hours before the gathering.

“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.”