HARTFORD, Conn. – Federal authorities have agreed to stay the planned deportation of a Connecticut couple who've been in the U.S. for nearly 20 years.
Thursday's decision comes one day before Zhe Long "Tony" Huang and Xiang Jin "Kris" Li of Farmington were scheduled to return to China.
It also comes hours after Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy spoke with federal officials about the case. Malloy and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced the last-minute stay.
The couple owns a Simsbury nail salon and entered the country illegally in 1999. They have two children who are American citizens.
Federal officials had granted stays from deportation, but then refused to do so again.
Malloy says Li is sick with flu and shouldn't be on a flight. He says the couple needs some time to pursue appeals.
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