MIT janitor facing deportation gets brief reprieve

BOSTON (AP) — A janitor at MIT who has gained support from prominent Massachusetts politicians and local activists has been granted a temporary reprieve as he faces deportation to El Salvador.

A federal judge on Friday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep Francisco Rodriguez in the country pending a Monday hearing.

ICE on Thursday denied Rodriguez’s request for a stay of removal and detained him for immediate deportation.

Rodriguez has been in the country since 2006 and was denied asylum in 2011. He’s been granted a number of temporary reprieves while he pursued other legal options.

His case has become a flashpoint for local labor and immigrant activists opposed to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey and Congressman Michael Capuano, all Democrats, have voiced support for Rodriguez.