Advocates Demand Return of Deaf 6-Year-Old Joseph Lodano Rodriguez After Deportation to Colombia

On March 19, 2026, advocates and lawyers intensified calls for the immediate return of Joseph Lodano Rodriguez, a deaf 6-year-old recently deported to Colombia, citing urgent medical and educational needs tied to his cochlear implant.

Attorney Nikolas De Bremaeker said at a virtual briefing hosted by California Superintendent Tony Thurmond that Joseph was removed after federal agents detained him with his mother, Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, 28, and a 5-year-old sibling during an immigration appointment on March 3. De Bremaeker warned that Joseph requires routine maintenance and clinical follow-up for his cochlear implant and said interruptions to that care put him at risk of serious infection and other complications. Thurmond showed a short video from a Colombian facility for the deaf that officials say illustrates Joseph’s difficulty communicating outside of the U.S.

Federal records cited by officials indicate Rodriguez Gutierrez entered the United States in 2022 seeking asylum and was issued a removal order on November 25, 2024. California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and several Democratic members of Congress have urged the Department of Homeland Security and State Department to investigate and consider humanitarian parole so Joseph can return, re-enroll in the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, and resume specialized care. Community groups are working to link the family with interpreters and services in Colombia while advocates press for expedited action.