Gay student from El Salvador asks to stay in U.S. out of fear he'll be killed if he is deported
BY Rich Schapiro
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, June 22nd 2011, 4:00 AM


Julio Hernandez, 24, testified that, if he is deported to his home country of El Salvador, he coul dbe killed for being gay.

A Bronx college student from El Salvador is fighting deportation, claiming he will be killed if he returns to his homeland because he's gay.

Julio Hernandez, 24, says he fled El Salvador four years ago after receiving death threats from gang members.

"For me, it's dangerous in my country," Hernandez said yesterday after an appearance in immigration court. "I want to stay in the U.S. I want a better life for me and my family."

Hernandez, a Bronx Community College student majoring in radiology, was on his way home from a trip to see friends in Chicago when he was picked up by immigration agents on April 27.

The agents boarded his Greyhound bus in Erie, Pa., and demanded his identification, Hernandez said.

After spending nine days in Pennsylvania detention centers, Hernandez was returned to New York and fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet.

The nonprofit New York State Youth Leadership Council is leading a campaign to stop Hernandez's deportation.

"He came from El Salvador fearing for his life," said spokeswoman Sonia Guinansaca. "He has a price on his head."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... z1Q3kw7kc5

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