An immigration judge granted a reprieve Friday to Pearl Street fixture Ibashi-i, canceling a deportation order against him and allowing him to stay in the country.
A visibly relieved Ibashi-i — whose legal name is Mitford Theodore Brown — hugged his attorney, Joy Athanasiou, after a brief hearing in federal immigration court in downtown Denver. Government lawyers did not oppose the request to cancel the order.
“The first step is giving thanks to almighty God above,” said a smiling Brown. “And I give great thanks to this woman (Athanasiou) and to all the community support, all those who put down a signature, who said good things, who were there when I needed them.”
Brown, 54, is a staple of the Pearl Street Mall busking scene. Over the last 19 years, he has treated thousands of people to his performances, in which he twists and folds his body and squeezes it into impossibly cramped spaces — such as a 20-inch Plexiglas cube.
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