Concord father and son get last-minute deportation reprieve

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 08/30/2011 | By Matt O'Brien Contra Costa Times

[moonshinner_09]

CONCORD -- A father and son set to be deported to Peru won a last-minute, temporary reprieve on Tuesday after an Illinois senator intervened on their behalf.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is delaying for a month the deportation of longtime Concord resident Arturo Rengifo, Sr., and his son, Arturo Rengifo, Jr.

"My mom is able to relax more," said the 24-year-old son, who would have left his mother and older brother in Concord had he been forced to take the one-way flight to Lima on Tuesday night. "She can actually breathe now. Hopefully more good things will happen, and I will be able to stay in this country."

The Rengifos are hoping a more lenient Obama administration deportation policy, announced on Aug. 18 but not yet implemented, could keep the family of four together in the Bay Area.

"I have more hope now; I have more faith now. I didn't pack my bags," said Arturo Rengifo, Jr., a student at Diablo Valley College and customer service representative at an AT&T store in Richmond. His father is a janitor, and the parents run a day care business at their home.

They applied for political asylum in the 1990s, but Arturo Rengifo, Sr., recently lost his case after several appeals.

News of the 30-day stay came to the family Tuesday morning from the office of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., which had made calls to immigration officers on the family's behalf.

"They just found out at 9 this morning they didn't have

to leave at 10 tonight," said lawyer Rhoda Wilkinson Domingo. Before that, she said, the Rengifos "were having a meltdown."

[moonshinner_09]

The 69-year-old father fears for his life in Peru, where he claims to have been threatened with violence by Shining Path guerrillas in the early 1990s.Yeah i am sure those same people have been waiting for over 21 years for him to return or now that he boardcasted to same people where he is at, same people can show up here, now that the whole world knows. Really 21 years later ?/How are they working, will it be with fake or stolen documents ?

[Iron Munro]

Deport the Illinois senator to Peru in his place.

[FlingWingFlyer]

That scumbag Durbin is trying to hold on to every vote he can. He knows he’s going to need them.

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[newzjunkey]

They applied for political asylum in the 1990s, but Arturo Rengifo, Sr., recently lost his case after several appeals.

The 1990s? Really? 20 years? I think it's time to make good on the deportation order.

[Tspud1]

As much as I dislike Durbin, these particular ILLEGALS don’t live in IL so they can’t vote for him. It just shows how far he will go to protect a non-constituent.