SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is continuing to call for the return of Joseph Londono Rodriguez, a six-year-old Deaf student with learning disabilities, to his school community at the California School for the Deaf at Fremont (CSDF), where he can resume learning the only language he uses to communicate, American Sign Language (ASL).
Earlier this month, Rodriguez was detained and deported under false pretenses. His mother, Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, is an asylum seeker fleeing domestic violence and was told to bring her children to a routine immigration check-in to have new photos taken. Instead, the family was immediately detained at the check-in and deported. They were denied access to Joseph’s assistive devices and denied access to their attorney, who was given false information about their whereabouts by authorities.
Superintendent Thurmond will be holding a virtual Zoom press event to share an update from Joseph’s family and again call for the family’s return to the United States. The press event is scheduled today, Wednesday, March 18 at 12:30 p.m. Members of the press can register for the virtual press event here.
Last week, Superintendent Thurmond met virtually with Joseph, his mother, and their attorney, as well as in person with Joseph’s teacher and CSDF staff. “Joseph made it very clear he wants to come back to school and his situation continues to be concerning,” Thurmond said. “Joseph does not understand Spanish, his family’s home language, and communicates only using ASL. Without access to further ASL instruction and his Deaf community, he is at risk of language deprivation, which can have serious impacts on a child’s development and health. I am actively working with members of Congress to pursue every available avenue to return Joseph to his school community and return his family to California.”
Earlier this week, the California Congressional Delegation sent a letter of support for Joseph’s mother, Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, to receive humanitarian parole, allowing the family to return to the United States for the family’s safety and for Joseph’s health and education.