Local
Jackson patient seeks reunion with wife and son kept in Mexico by immigration barriers
Jesus Aguirre, a 63-year-old U.S. citizen hospitalized after a lung transplant, says he may have only days to live and wants to see his wife and son. His family says an airport detention and the need for an immigration waiver have kept them apart for nearly four months.
MIAMI — A 63-year-old South Florida man hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital is asking for help reuniting with his wife and son in Mexico as he faces a terminal illness and fears he may have little time left.
Jesus Aguirre, a U.S. citizen recovering from a lung transplant, said in Spanish that his condition could leave him with as little as an hour or a day. “We don’t know how long it’s going to last,” he said from his hospital bed.
His son, who has the same name, had come to Miami on a tourist visa but was detained at the airport and deported to Mexico while his father was recovering. Aguirre’s wife, who did not have legal immigration status in the United States, also went to Mexico to try to resolve her situation through official channels.
Nearly four months later, the family remains separated. Aguirre’s son said he and his mother traveled for hours to a U.S. consulate in Juárez, where they were told they would need to wait for a pardon.
“We don’t have time because my dad is very sick right now,” the son said. Asked whether he wanted to see his father one last time, he replied, “Yes, for the last time.”
The son said the separation has been painful and described his family as “good people.” Aguirre also wants to see his wife face to face, saying he hopes to thank her for standing by him.
The family is appealing for government help so they can be together before Aguirre dies. The State Department had been contacted for comment and information about whether assistance is possible; no response was included in the information available.