Posted on 09/07/2005 1:09:34 PM PDT by dennisw
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - A Mexican immigrant who was found living at Apple Valley High School last winter must leave the country, an immigration judge ordered on Wednesday.
Francisco Javier Serrano was told to depart within 120 days, though he plans to appeal the decision.
"It's not what I expected - I'm dejected," he said. "I just want to go to college, have a career and go back to my country ... for sure, I'm going to pray."
Serrano said he fled Connecticut for Minnesota last winter after his father had deserted him. He hid at the high school he had once attended and was arrested by immigration officials once he was discovered in the school's boiler room.
Serrano's attorney said he plans to pursue several routes of appeal.
"There are still a lot of maneuvers we can make here to make this young man's dream come true," the attorney, Herbert Igbanugo, said. "We have not given up the fight."
He plans to appeal the local immigration district director's refusal on Tuesday to grant his client "non-immigrant student status," which would allow Serrano to legally stay in the United States.
Igbanugo also will move to reopen Serrano's case if he can determine if his father has legal immigration status, which also would open the door for him to legally stay here.
Serrano's situation drew some support from parents who e-mailed Apple Valley High School after the man was discovered, though the school was also criticized for allowing someone to live there undetected.
But Tim Counts, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said it was a clear case of someone abusing their visa privileges.
"The circumstances of his discovery (at the school) was unusual, but the facts of the case are quite common," Counts said. "He came in on a visitor's visa and didn't leave when it expired, and therefore he was in the country illegally."
He said Serrano would be removed from the country if he doesn't leave on his own.
Serrano has said he was hoping to get a student visa and attend college to study engineering. He said he has was accepted at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis.
Serrano said he spent three weeks in the school of 2,300 students - though officials could only confirm he was there two weeks - sometimes sitting in on classes and sleeping wherever he could hide. He was arrested at the school in January and charged with trespassing, then arrested again when he returned.
Yeah...it's called LEGAL IMMIGRATION. Look into it, it's a wonderful thing!
He said Serrano would be removed from the country if he doesn't leave on his own.
What a lie!!!
And what if he doesn't? Will they just tell him to depart again?
Well 1 out of three isn't bad.
This illegal immigrant has a dream. A dream to live here illegally. Who are we to deport his mangy butt back to Mexico? That's being judgmental!
Arrested in January, ordered deported in September. Order to be 'appealed'.
Yanquis are so crazy!
"I just want to go to college, have a career and go back to my country ."
What,..there are no universities in "his" country?
I'll contribute to a fund so he can leave immediately if he promises never to return.
Six months of mandatory counseling to find the 'real' reason he isn't obeying orders?
bump
So we no longer deport illegals, just toss them into the next county...?
Another myth.
bttt
ping
I thought they wanted to come and stay because the U.S. is a better country? This is the typical reasoning behind most of the illegals here. And, a lot of the legal immigrants as well.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
Lol!
I have a dream too. Immediately bus EVERY ONE of these illegal aliens OUT of our country AFTER the border is secured.
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