Farmington musicians rally to support immigrant family at concert

'Mauricio & Friends' event raises more than $1,400

Farmington Daily Times

FARMINGTON — A large crowd gathered on the patio of the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park on May 16 to enjoy the music of several local musicians rallying to support a local Honduran immigrant and his family.

The "Mauricio & Friends" concert, which was organized by Mick Hesse to raise money for Mauricio Espinal and his family, featured performances by Celebration Brass, Autumn Austin, Hesse, Lora and Russel Hodges, Delbert Anderson, Funkified and Espinal himself.

Espinal and his wife and children have been living in the United States since 2014 on an R1 religious visa, but they must leave the country by June 3 because that visa is expiring and Espinal's application for a residential visa has been stalled with immigration officials for the past few years.

The group Celebration Brass performs on the patio of the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park on May 16 during a benefit concert for the family of Mauricio Espinal.

Guitarist Roger Miller of Funkified plays a solo during the May 16 benefit concert for the family of Mauricio Espinal at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park.

Lor and Russel Hodges are featured during the May 16 benefit concert for the family of Mauricio Espinal at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park.

Espinal serves as the music director at the Templo Sinai Assembly of God church and performs with several local musical groups.

Mauricio Espinal plays keyboards during a benefit concert for his family May 16 on the patio at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park.

Hesse said the concert raised more than $1,400 to help support Espinal and his family when they return next month to Honduras, a country racked by violence perpetrated largely by drug trafficking groups. The Espinals are planning to apply for permanent resident status in the United States later this year and hope to return to Farmington in 2020.