[SoFloFreeper]

In May, Gomez graduated in the top 20 of his 780-member class, friends said. He had hoped to go to Harvard or the University of Pennsylvania but had trouble applying because of his illegal status...

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.

[Dixie Yooper]

Columbia (not the District of) should roll out the red carpet for this young man and provide him a full scholarship at their finest university.

[longtermmemmory]

It is WORST THAN THAT, the fact is they could have applied for a hardship stay of deportation because they had been here for more than ten years.

This story is a fraud.

Does this newspaper allow comments or did they shut it down out of fear of truth comments.