A Houston mother’s fight to reunite her family intensifies as her husband is deported while their young son faces a severe, life-limiting medical condition.
HOUSTON, Minn. — A Houston mother is asking for help after her husband was deported to Honduras while their 5-year-old son battles a rare and potentially life-threatening medical condition.
Gabriela Murillo says her husband, Jorge Murillo, was pulled over by state police in Mississippi on October 8 while driving for work. At the time, he had a pending immigration case and was legally allowed to remain in the U.S., according to the family’s attorney.
“He was like, ‘I am in the process of it, I have an open immigration case,’” Gabriela recalled.
Despite this, Jorge was detained and sent to LaSalle detention facility in Louisiana, where he remained for months. On January 10, Gabriela received a phone call that shattered her: her husband had been deported.
“I spoke with him over FaceTime,” Gabriela said. “He was in his country. I can’t be with him.”
The family’s 5-year-old son, James, is autistic and suffers from multiple serious medical conditions. Most recently, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder causing aortic dilation, which affects the heart and lungs and gives him a life expectancy of just 5 to 10 years.
“Now it’s in the hands of God,” Gabriela said. “I try to live every moment as happy as I can, knowing our days could be numbered.”
Jorge Murillo told KHOU he has no criminal record and that he and his wife had been working for years to secure his immigration status. He said one of his greatest fears is that something could happen to his son while he is out of the country.
The family’s attorney says Jorge’s deportation was legally incorrect. “That is really the unfair part,” she said. “He was deported while the appeal was pending. Legally, he should not have been.”
Now, Gabriela is left to care for their four other children, all under the age of 8, while advocating for her husband’s return. She says she has reached out to local, state and federal leaders for assistance, but so far has received no help. KHOU 11 also reached out to ICE in Louisiana multiple times over the past two weeks but has not received a response.
Jorge says he cannot bring his son to Honduras due to the severity of his condition.
“If I bring him there, he will die. I refuse to do that,” he said.
Gabriela says all she can do is cherish every moment with James and hope that one day her husband will be allowed to return.
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