DERBY -- A father of four who has lived in the U.S. for 25 years and was set to be deported Thursday, was granted a 30 day stay by ICE.
After facing deportation for the past five years, Barrios was granted an extra 30 days after receiving a personal call from Senator Blumenthal.
"The only word I can tell everybody is God bless you," says Barrios. "I know you believe in Jesus and that's why you came to help us."
Barrios entered the United States illegally 25 years ago after fleeing Guatemala. Since then, he's raised four U.S. born children and kept a job the entire time. After being pulled over for a broken taillight in 2011, police notified ICE and extended his stay in the country for five years.
ICE deemed his case 'low priority' for years and was granted a number of temporary stays. Barrios is seeking asylum from his native Guatemala but his case has never been heard.
Now he will get a chance to spend precious moments with family.
"Every year we go camping. Now we even booked one for this summer. And if they do let him stay, then we can continue that," said his son Lester.
Now, advocates are working to help Barrios remain in the United States. A petition with over 3,200 signatures has been sent to ICE's Boston field director with hopes of reversing his case.
Barrios' legal team is currently working on a pending motion to reopen his case with the Board of Immigration Appeals. If action isn't taken within 30 days, Barrios could still be deported back to Guatemala.