19 Arrested at Protest Supporting Connecticut Father Scheduled to be Deported

Police arrested 19 protesters outside the federal building in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 2. The demonstrators were protesting in support of an undocumented father who faces deportation back to Guatemala this week.A crowd of about 100 said it was inhumane to deport Luis Barrios, a father of four from Derby, because he has no criminal record, according to the Hartford Courant. They said, instead, he should be granted asylum after fleeing violence in Guatemala in 1992.The protesters blocked the entrance to the building, where the federal immigration office is located. Police warned protesters they would be arrested and also spoke with protest organizers, the Courant reported, but after an hour they started making arrests.Barrios was ordered to be deported in 1998 after he applied for asylum and did not show up for the hearing, the Courant said. When he was pulled over by police in 2011, he drew the attention of federal immigration officials. He had been granted a stay of removal, which was renewed every year until now, which activists say is because of the change in administration.Barrios’ attorney filed to re-open his case on April 17, but he has yet to receive a response. Connecticut’s federal lawmakers also have written letters to the Trump administration requesting Barrios receive a reprieve.