Connecticut Father Granted Stay After Facing Deportation, Receives News At Airport: Update

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT — "We lost the fight...for now," Samantha Colindrés wrote Wednesday on Facebook, the night before her husband and father of their two young children, Joel, was scheduled to be deported back to Guatemala. By all means, their fight had indeed been lost; their request for an emergency stay had been denied and all hope seemed lost.

Then they got to the airport.

"Went to the airport today, say for over an hour," Samantha Colindrés wrote on the the Save Joel Colindrés Facebook page. "Time was quickly approaching Joel's flight time and no officers showed up. We received a call from our amazing lawyer Erin O'Neil Baker that Joel could leave and go home!"

Colindrés also said in the post she does know much more as to how much time her husband has, but that she was just happy to get one more night together. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

In a statement released Thursday, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Joel Colindrés had been granted a stay of deportation, which allows him to remain in the country while the court considers new evidence in his case.

"I’m relieved for Joel, his wife Samantha, and their two little kids," Murphy said in a statement. "My office has been in close contact with the Colindrés family and their attorney, and we’re going to keep working with ICE to make sure Joel can stay here at home in Connecticut. The Trump administration has been targeting families like the Colindrés, and it’s an abomination. President Trump must put an end to these costly, mean-spirited policies.”

See also: Because ICE Made A Typo, These Kids Will Lose Their Dad In Just Days

• CT Legislators Support Father Of 2 Facing Deportation

Last month, Murphy, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) sent a letter to ICE and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials urging them to reconsider the deportation order issued for Colindrés.

"Thank you to all of you," Samantha Colindrés said in the post. "Our supporters, family, friends and community. We could not have achieved this miracle without you all. As soon as we have more definitive news we will be sure to update you all. Much love to all of you from all of us!"

The couple has spent nearly a month fighting to get their story out and #SaveJoelColindres, however they were faced with difficult news Wednesday night.

"The [Board of Immigration Appeals] denied our emergency stay and [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] denied our stay, again," Samantha Colindrés said on Facebook. "We have exhausted all legal routes in this battle and Joel must deport the country tomorrow."

As of Thursday afternoon, the post has been deleted.

Patch previously reported that last month Joel Colindrés was given 28 days to leave the country due to a deportation order he was given as the result of a paperwork mix-up.

He has lived in America since 2004 after coming in through Texas via a legal provisional waiver. He owns a home, paid taxes for every year he's been here (with an Taxpayer Identification Number) and is married with two children to an American citizen.

The family's attorney, Erin O'Neil Baker, previously told Patch that Colindrés has been following the necessary steps to become an American citizen, until ICE officials spelled his name wrong on a document.

Due to the error, the attorney said, Joel Colindrés never received an important letter — and missed a court date as a result. He was then issued a removal order in 2004, but continued to send necessary documents and check in regularly with ICE agents, as his waiver required, and was continuously working to be granted citizenship.

After being told Colindrés would be deported on July 20, he and his wife worked to get the support of local government officials and spread their story across the media in hopes of him being allowed to stay long enough to finish the process of becoming a citizen. That dream nearly came crumbling down Wednesday.

"For once I am at a loss for words," Samantha Colindrés said in the post. "Devastated, broken, angry...don't even begin to touch the tip of what we are feeling."

She also said in the post that all was not lost, as her husband still had a pending motion that could bring him back to the country in a bare minimum of eight months if approved.

While many in similar situations as Joel Colindrés have been granted stays after taking sanctuary in a church, the couple have decided against this solution as it could drastically impair his path to citizenship down the road.

"Disobeying this order could make [Joel] a criminal fugitive," Colindrés said, "and hurt all the efforts we have put forth."

The night before her husband's stay was denied, Colindrés posted on Facebook that while she was thankful for the all support her family had received, she was "losing faith" that good news was coming.

"This is the worst game of wait it out I have ever been in," Colindrés said, "and as much as I want time to freeze, I want it to speed up and give us our answers already. But at the same time I'm so terrified of what that answer will be."

Though distraught, she also expressed in the post a heartfelt thanks to all who had worked to #SaveJoelColindres.

"We want to thank you all for your support, the calls to legislators, calls to us, emails and donations. The love from all of you has been overwhelming to say the least," Colindrés said. "Love and blessings to you all."

Check the Save Joel Colindrés Facebook page for more information.

Image courtesy of Samantha Colindrés