Mother's deportation could have dire consequences for her son
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April 10, 2010 8:28 PM
Jazmine Ulloa

BROWNSVILLE — Angel de Jesus Barrera will turn 3 next month. But at 22 pounds and 8 ounces, he is fighting for his life as his mother faces deportation later this month.

He was born with congenital craniofacial dysmorphism, an abnormality in fetus development, which left part of his cranium and face disfigured. Angel de Jesus looks more like a 1-year-old given his size and weight. He has a whole list of medical conditions, some of which include Down’s syndrome, scoliosis, mental retardation, seizure disorder and a serious case of glaucoma that recently resulted in the removal of his left eye.

Any infection could prove fatal, doctors say. Every medical and physical treatment is critical. But whether Angel de Jesus makes his next doctor’s appointment in Houston at the end of this month depends not only on his delicate state. It hinges on his mother’s immigration status.

Alma Lerma, his mother, crossed into Brownsville from Matamoros illegally in 1995 and has been fighting deportation since last year. This week, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official denied her request for permission to stay in the United States for another year based on her son’s medical case.

Lerma will have to voluntarily leave the country by April 20 or be forcibly removed. She has eight children, including Angel de Jesus, all of whom were born in the United States. Their future is now uncertain.

“My son’s life is hanging by a thread,â€