It was a pre-Christmas miracle for Francisco Rodriguez and his family when the MIT custodian was temporarily released on December 21st after being detained by immigration officials for nearly six months. Rodriguez first came here illegally from El Salvador a decade go, seeking asylum after a co-worker of his was murdered. Since then, he has obeyed the letter of the law but, back in June, he reported for his regular check-in with authorities, who told him he was to return with his passport and a ticket back to El Salvador. He did as he was told and ended up being detained, missing the birth of his son, and six months in the lives of his 10 and 5-year old daughters, all U.S. citizens.
It’s been three weeks since Rodriguez left the detention center but his fight is far from over. For now, his deportation is just on hold while his lawyers appeal his case for asylum. Francisco Rodriguez and his lawyer, John Bennet, of Goodwin Procter, joined Jim Braude to discuss.
