August 24, 2018 / Modified nov 28, 2018 3:44 p.m.

Mexican Mother Granted Special Visa to Visit Ailing Husband in Tucson

Woman was previously denied entry; children petitioned for reversal.

Bill de la rosa Bill de la Rosa, left, at a press conference at Congressman Raúl Grijalva's Tucson office, Aug. 23, regarding his family's efforts to get his mother, Gloria Arellano de la Rosa, permission to visit her ailing husband.
Nancy Montoya, AZPM

De la rosa family Gloria Arellano, Bill and Arsenio de la Rosa, in Nogales, Sonora, 2015, from the AZPM-Arizona Daily Star profile of the family, Divided by Law (see below).
Mike Christy, Arizona Daily Star

Tucson family members have succeeded in their quest to get a special visa for their deported Mexican mother.

The U.S. government granted a 30-day humanitarian parole to Gloria Arellano de la Rosa so she could visit her husband, Arsenio de la Rosa, 85, who is near death in Tucson. Family members were traveling to Mexico to bring her to Tucson Friday. De la Rosa was previously denied a visa at a U.S. port of entry. Her son, Bill de la Rosa, says the family was taken by surprise when they received a call saying the government had changed its mind.

"Things are possible. You've got to keep praying, you've got to keep pushing, like in my case, things can get better. Just don't lose hope," he said.

U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Thursday urging a reconsideration of the case. Bill De La Rosa thanked the congressman and thousands of others who signed an online petition in support of his parents.

DIVIDED BY LAW

Learn more about the de la Rosa family's story in this 2015 award-winning collaboration between Arizona Public Media and the Arizona Daily Star. Click the image below.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona