MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A local Manatee County mom is pleading with the federal government to release her husband, who was taken by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about four months ago.
Benita Cantero is pleading for her husband's return, while also fighting for her life. She is dying and is in dire need of a liver transplant.
WATCH: Manatee County mom in urgent need of liver transplant pleads for husband’s release from ICE custody
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez met up with Cantero in Bradenton to listen to her story and her plea for help.
In Spanish, she said, “the doctors said, since they haven't found a cause, a transplant is the only solution.”
Cantero suffers from an autoimmune disease that has caused her liver to fail. But she can't get a transplant because she is also undocumented.
She was born in Mexico and has lived in the United States for over 25 years, raising two children, ages 11 and 6.
“It was just me, I'm not scared to die, because I know where I'm going,” said Cantero. “But I worry about my children, they’re my biggest concern.”
Now, she is calling for the release of her husband, Eddy Macario.
He was pulled over for a traffic violation in May and taken to a Pompano Beach detention center.
Cantero said she can't support the kids on her own, and with her deteriorating health, she needs her husband.
“I appreciate having any help I can get,” said Cantero. “It's hard for me to ask, because I'm not one to ask for help. But because of my situation, I need to.”
Community members, like Ruth Beltran, have stepped up to support Cantero through her organization, the Tampa Bay Immigrant Solidarity Network. She said she is helping feed Cantero’s children, working to put her back on the transplant list, and trying to connect her with a private hospital that may be able to perform the procedure.
“No one should die just because they are missing a piece of paper,” said Beltran. “We need to reach into our humanity, and we need to realize that we must save a life if we have the opportunity to do that.”
Renata Casto, an immigration attorney not involved in this case, said the family should not lose hope.
“If he has a hearing, there is an opportunity that – A, if he is eligible, he could receive bond, or - B, he could receive a more permanent relief,” said Castro. “I cannot think of a more extreme hardship situation than when you have your spouse at home needing a transplant.”
Macario is expected to have his final hearing in a month, which will determine whether he will stay or be deported to Venezuela.
There is a GofundMe for Cantero and her family to help raise money for her medical needs.
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