US board reopens asylum case of Guatemala immigrant

HARTFORD, Conn. – A U.S. immigration board has reopened the asylum request of an immigrant from Guatemala who was nearly deported last month before being granted a reprieve.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced Monday that the Board of Immigration Appeals is reopening the case of Luis Barrios, a married father of four who lives in Derby, Connecticut.

Barrios entered the U.S. illegally 25 years ago while fleeing violence in Guatemala. A judge ordered him deported in 1998 when he said he missed an asylum hearing because he wasn’t notified.

But his case remained pending until 2011, when his immigration status was flagged after a traffic stop for a broken tail light. There was no attempt to deport him until President Donald Trump made immigration enforcement a priority earlier this year.