An immigration judge has ordered the expedited release of a Chicago teen’s parents from custody so they can reunite with him as he battles terminal cancer.
Kevin Gonzalez, 18, went public with his pleas that his parents be released from immigration custody as he continues to battle stage 4 colon cancer in Durango, Mexico.
Kevin, a U.S. citizen, was diagnosed earlier this year, and the cancer has spread to his stomach and lungs, leading doctors to inform him that treatment is no longer an option for his illness.
“He has terminal colon cancer,” said Virginia Amaya, Kevin’s grandmother. “It has invaded his stomach and lungs. He doesn’t sleep. He doesn’t eat.”
Kevin’s parents had previously been deported to Mexico in 2011, then his mother Anabel allegedly tried to reenter the United States in 2024 and was deported again.
A Chicago native battling terminal cancer is making an emotional plea to see his parents one last time. NBC Chicago’s JC Navarrete reports.
When they learned of his terminal cancer diagnosis earlier this year, they applied for visas but were denied, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“These illegal aliens did not apply for humanitarian parole,” a spokesperson said. “They applied for B1/B2 visas which were denied due to their previous unlawful presence and entries into the United States.”
They then tried to cross the border again, but were detained in Douglas, Arizona. It was there they remained in immigration custody while Kevin pleaded for their release so they could be reunited with him in Mexico.
“I’m asking you to do whatever you can to release them,” he said. “I just want to spend my last days with them.”
On Thursday, an immigration judge ordered the parents to be released from custody and transferred to Nogales. The hope is they will soon be able to reunite with their son, according to officials.
The Mexican Consulate in Arizona and numerous lawmakers became involved in the case seeking the release of Kevin’s parents, including Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.
