Posted on 07/30/2007 6:39:38 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
Juan Gomez was poised for greatness.
At Miami Killian High, he aced 15 Advanced Placement classes and earned a near-perfect score on his SATs. He exceled in football and was popular with classmates. He had plans to attend Miami Dade College's Honors College.
But on Thursday, Gomez, 18, sat in an immigrant detention facility in Broward County, periodically placing desperate calls to friends. He's being deported to Colombia, the country where he was born, but a place he has never known.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Now the media in Miami is making this sound like it is America's fault for enforcing their immigration laws.
The family had gone to immigration court to seek legal status, and a judge turned them down. Five years ago, the Board of Immigration Appeals agreed with the ruling.
''They had five years to make arrangements to return to their home country,'' said Barbara Gonzalez, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman in Miami. ``Instead of complying with the law, they ignored it and remained in the country.''
Florida ping; FIVE YEARS to get their affairs in order...but they ignored the law.
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
Julio Boo Hoo alert!!!!
Put him on the next plane out.
While I am not unsympathetic to this kid’s plight, stories like these help give other potential illegals a reason NOT to come here.
I really am sorry for this kid. Perhaps back in Columbia he can serve as an object lesson to his friends and neighbors about why it is not a good idea to sneak into our country.
Sad, in a way. This kind of quality is what I’d like to see in immigrants.
I wish they’d start with the peeing in public, loitering, raping street thugs.
The parents were wrong, though.
The only thing sad about this story is that it is probably going to be difficult for them to sell their house now. But I’m sure ICE will let them take all their liquid assets and move back to Colombia. Of course, the plane ride will be free (i.e., billed to us). With all the investments the US public school system has made in these boys, they should be able to go to college, graduate at the top of their college classes, apply for student visas and come here as graduate students whose student visas then get converted, by US employers, to work visas. I don’t know why they’re so unhappy. Going to college overseas? What an adventure! For the parents, returning to their home country with a lot of money? Hey, how wonderful! Where’s the sad part?
Here’s one downside to this issue. We have a talented kid who winds up being screwed over by his parents. We kick him out but lesser folks get to stay. I say we keep him and send a few people doing time in our prisons home. He will at least contribute some tax revenue to society and we can lower our incarceration bill.
“The family started a small catering company and enrolled their children in public schools, friends said. It’s unclear why they chose to stay.”
On a six month visitors visa? They knew full well they were here to stay and break the law. If the kid is as smart as advertised, he will do well in Columbia.
Do all Florida colleges admit illegals?
I used to teach in a MA school with a huge illegal population. A lot of them were decent and hard working kids. This led to a very EMOTIONAL movement to allow them to go to state colleges at in-state rates.
Every time I hear folks say that we need to dry up the jobs, I respond that we need to dry up the SERVICES - school, medical, etc. Don’t allow these without proof of citizenship and watch them leave in droves!
Excellent point. And the fact is, we don't have to deal with deport every single illegal immigrant. What you do is set up an environment that makes them want to self-deport, by not making it worthwhile for them to stay in this country illegally.
He is such a wunderkind that UK and Canadian universities are salivating over the prospect of giving him a scholarship, right? Right?
Agreed.
The story should really be about how the parents broke our country’s laws, and the way their indifference has affected the life of their son.
Yep, but I wouldn't mind if this guy comes back legally some day.
These are the type of folk our country need. I agree with Misterrob, keep the kid, do the process that needs to be done and send his folks back and let them apply accordingly! After this story, I'm sure there will be a family who is willing to foster the kid! He can be a tremendous asset to our community and country!
Make him pay back those who paid for his education, THEN kick his butt out!
I'm sure FIU does.
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