Cheryl Bartlett is legally blind and relies on hubby Rogerio Carlos Barbosa Araujo for daily care and is now fighting his deportation after he was held as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown
A blind former beauty queen is fighting the deportation of her husband who she relies on for daily care after he was snatched by US immigration officers as she sang at a wedding.
Cheryl Bartlett, 63, who was crowned Miss Hawaii in 1986, says hubby Rogerio Carlos Barbosa Araujo, 58, has been detained by ICE and is facing being kicked out of the country.
He had previously received 12 years of administrative closure because Cheryl is legally blind. Administrative closure is when immigration cases are paused. But a change in federal administration reopened his case, resulting in a deportation order being granted.
Honolulu-based Cheryl, a singer and retired speech language therapist, relies on her husband of 17 years for daily care due to diabetes-related blindness and chronic kidney disease.
She said following him to Brazil isn’t feasible because her medical supplies wouldn’t be available. The couple is seeking continued grace from ICE, citing severe medical and family hardships, while Cheryl said her husband’s mental state is deteriorating in detention.
Cheryl says her husband was taken by homeland security officers on October 28 while she was singing at a wedding in Waikiki. She said: “He went home to park and homeland security officers were waiting for him in the parking lot.”
Rogerio now sits in the Honolulu Federal Detention Center awaiting a decision for grace or a deportation to Brazil.
The couple married in 2009 and attempted to adjust Rogerio’s immigration status through their marriage.
However, in 2012, he was denied status adjustment after authorities said they found evidence of an administrative error he made while working at a Christian television station before meeting Bartlett.
The couple then applied for prosecutorial discretion and received administrative closure, allowing them to live under the grace of the immigration court for 12 years based on Cheryl’s disabilities.
She said: “They said they found some evidence of an administrative error he made when he worked earlier before I knew him.
“We’ve been living under that grace of the immigration court based on my disability and my need for Roger as my husband to be here to provide care for me.”
With the change in federal administration, Rogerio’s case was reopened and the previously granted grace was rescinded. When he failed to appear for a hearing that Bartlett said they never received notice for, a judge issued a final order of deportation.
Bartlett lives with multiple serious health conditions that make her dependent on her husband’s daily care. Diagnosed with type one diabetes at age six, she has lived with the condition for 57 years.
The diabetes led to diabetic retinopathy, causing severe vision loss in her 30s after multiple surgeries. She said: “My peripheral vision is all but gone,” adding that her central vision shows “areas of what looks like ghosts”.
She also battles stage three chronic kidney disease, another likely result of her long battle with diabetes. Cheryl relies on an insulin pump and 24-hour glucose meter to manage her condition. Rogerio serves as her primary caregiver and mobility aid.
She added: “He knows me like a husband knows his wife. He knows what to do when I’m in trouble.”
She described how he helps manage her hypoglycemic reactions and is trained to use emergency glucagon injections when she’s not fully conscious. She added: “He has helped me on so many occasions to pull me out of a low blood sugar reaction.”
Cheryl says she left her career at the end of December because her deteriorating vision made it impossible to read test protocols and complete reports in a timely manner. She now survives on Social Security and a pension.
Cheryl says following her husband to Brazil is not an option because the country doesn’t distribute her insulin pump or necessary supplies. The couple is asking for grace to be reinstated based on her medical needs and the hardship deportation would create.
Beyond caring for Cheryl, Rogerio also supports his 84-year-old mother, a US citizen originally from Brazil, and Cheryl’s mother, 84, and her father, 86, who is a Navy veteran with PTSD.
Describing her husband’s emotional state in detention, she said his mood fluctuates between depression and determination.
She added: “His whole life was taken within the span of a few minutes in our parking lot “This man deserves to live and to have a full and happy life with me.”
ICE did not immediately respond to request for comment. Visit here to support her campaign.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .