After Graduation, Teen Faces Deportation

[locksly]

Locksley
12 Point
Member # 1548

posted 05-21-2006 04:14 PM
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I saw this and it seems wrong to me to deport a young man that was in this country threw no fault of his own and speaks English like an American and thought he was an American citizen. He was arrested handcuffed and thrown in jail for 16 days before his local high school officials could get help to have him released to graduate with his high school class.
Updated: 02:27 PM EDT
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After Graduation, Teen Faces Deportation

By JESSICA GOLDEN, ABCNews.com
(May 19) - Manuel Bartsch has dreamed of graduating from high school and going to college for as long as he can remember. Half of that dream came true Friday, when he graduated from Pandora-Gilboa High School in northwest Ohio.
The other half of the dream hangs in the balance. The 18-year-old faces deportation, because unknown to him until six months ago when he was jailed for more than two weeks by immigration officials, he is not a legal U.S. resident.
Manuel is an ordinary 18-year-old. He can be found working out on his school's football fields or hitting golf balls with his friends. It wasn't until December 2005 that he realized he was different. He needed his Social Security number to take the college boards and realized he didn't have one -- and it was only then that he learned was not a legal resident of the United States.
He was living with his step-grandfather at the time. The older man had brought him to the United States from Germany, where Manuel had gone through a difficult childhood living with an alcoholic mother and then suffered the death of his grandmother, who was his legal guardian at the time.
Manuel arrived in Ohio in 1997 with his American-born step-grandfather on a temporary visa. Manuel didn't realize it, but the man had never adopted him legally. His legal troubles started when he got a letter from his local immigration office. The letter informed him that he had filled out the wrong form when he applied for a Social Security number. They told him to come in for an appointment to straighten it out.
Manuel was excited about the possibility of getting the Social Security number so he could take his college boards, but when he showed up for the interview he got a shock.

"I got there and they handcuffed me and brought me to jail," he said. He spent the next 16 days behind bars.

Manuel has impressed a lot of people -- leading friends, teachers and politicians to rally together to support him.

"Everyone has been behind me 100 percent," Bartsch said. "I think this experience has brought a lot of people together."
In April, Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine introduced a special bill to help Manuel gain legal status.

"In my opinion, Manuel's status in this country must change," the Republican senator said. "Through no fault of his own, Manuel is not a legal resident of the United States. Had his step-grandfather adopted him, Manuel would be an American citizen today. And, if his step-grandfather had moved to legalize Manuel's status at some point before he turned 18, he would not be subject to deportation today."

Other politicians have shared DeWine's support for the teenager, passing resolutions throughout Ohio urging immigration authorities to let him stay.
DeWine also convinced Senate Judiciary Committee Immigration Subcommittee Chairman John Cornyn, R-Texas, to request a report on the case from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Because of that request, the teenager cannot be deported this year, even if a judge were to order it.

Manuel's future is up in the air. He waits on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings, hoping something will be done so he can attend Ohio Northern University, where he was recently accepted and where he hopes to pursue a business or economics degree.

His lawyer, David Leopold, who accepted this case pro-bono, said he's watched Manuel grow up throughout this ordeal.

"He's really become a man throughout this experience," he said.

Leopold also said that included in the immigration bill currently being debated in the Senate is a clause called the Dream Act. This would allow citizenship to Manuel, since he came to the United States before he was 16.

"If the immigration bill passes, it will be a very good thing for Manuel," he said.

As Manuel walks across the stage tonight, he will no doubt get loud cheers.

"It wasn't expected for me to graduate, so tonight means a lot to me," he said.


05-21-06 12:54 EDT


Copyright 2006 ABCNEWS.com
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/ar...00010000000001

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To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;"The greatest pain a man can suffer is to have knowledge of much, and power over nothing" - Herodotus

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Posts: 5367 | From: Antioch TN | Registered: Oct 2001 | IP: Logged |

Todd
16 Pointer
Member # 231

posted 05-21-2006 04:23 PM
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Send him back!

We have to make room for illegal Mexicans who are here working hard cashing fake payroll checks.

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sometimes I think progress progresses too fast - The Lorax

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Posts: 3723 | From: BFE | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged |

BigAl
14 Point
Member # 1336

posted 05-21-2006 09:03 PM
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quote:
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Originally posted by Todd:
Send him back!

We have to make room for illegal Mexicans who are here working hard cashing fake payroll checks.
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Yep, this guy will probably get a degree and make it on his own, which in no way furthers the democrats agenda of creating another welfare society.

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Walls: Leading the way outdoors.

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Posts: 9961 | From: Bartlett, TN US | Registered: Jul 2001 | IP: Logged |

Whitehorse
12 Point
Member # 188

posted 05-21-2006 11:33 PM
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The disparity between his treatment & those of true illegal aliens is striking - & sickening...

BigAl, I hear you, it'd be funnier if it weren't true...

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As a hunter, I am not divorced from the natural world. I am an integral part of the circle of life. I am part of "nature's course!"

[reconeil]

Maybe "Manuel" should go to some
Mexican Embassy for assistance?

I believe that there, and just like in Mexico,
they have government manuals specifically explaining
how to Escape & Evade INS,...and then blend into America.

There's quite likely a chapter or two on how
to first get both Driver Licenses and a good SS#'s
from Deceased Americans,...and even how to
Register to Vote for their liberal REPRESENTATIVES, CHAMPIONS & PATRONS.

Neil

[39mto39g]

Came from Germany? Illegally with his grandfather, used the taxpayers school system for an education, not dought also used the medical system, He should pay back alll the money he has cost the US taxpayers and be deported.
Just because someone puts a nice spin on his situation doesn't mean anything to me, Get out. Get in line. Pay up before you come back.
Ron

[Seascamp]

This situation has the aroma and texture of yet another bit of MSM gimmickry but with some reverse polarity race card trickery thrown in for good measure.
If the Lad has an Attorney worth a half a salted peanut or if the MSM were being a bit honest, they would know of the pending or recently passed ?American Dream Act?. This act grants youngsters caught up in the exact circumstances formal identity for the purposes of higher education. Although this act is primarily directed at Latino youngsters, the Lad should qualify. If not, then we have an Act that needs to cease, desist and come out of the shadows and greet the noonday sun of scrutiny. Good test I think.

But a bigger point, if the Lad has a bit of smarts, starch and bravery about himself, he could turn this seemingly sad saga into an opportunity of a lifetime that few will ever see. It isn?t like he will be dumped in some sleazy Berlin back alley, no way. I have absolutely no doubt that publications like Die Welt are picking up on this story and making the kiddo a celebrity in Germany. There are more Government subsidized programs for youngsters there than we will ever dream of in the US and the Germans will, absolutely will, make a big deal out of reclaiming one of their own, especially an orphan who has got the boot from the US, oh my.

Talk about first class all the way, especially if the now out of power Green Party gets even a sniff at a way to do an ?up yours USA? number. I think the Lad should make a big, big deal about demanding deportation, eh. Fame, good times, and very generous subsidies are just a day away if he plays the cards right and to his advantage.

Scamp

[David]

Don't deport him...yet. Jail him and have him make license plates until he pays off every last dime he stole from this country then deport him and his grandfather with a bar to ever immigrating to this country in the future. Screw him, screw his sad sad story, and screw every other illegal immigrant screwing me and every other American.

WOW!!! SLAM DUNK. Back to where ever you are from.

[Advisor]

Typical INS crap. Screwing with people who want to do the right thing. Manuel should give the INS the finger, go underground, write a book, go on TV, and become a protected species. Here is a kid who, when he found out he was here illegally, tried to straighten things out. The INS looked on him as an easy target..hey, why go out looking for illegals when you can have 'em walk right into your arms...doesn't interfere with donut time this way.

[82Rigger]

His grandfather screwed up his paperwork when he was a minor child, and he should be treated like this?

That's patently ridiculous.

We've got 11 million illegals looking for a FREE RIDE, and this kid, believing he's legal, is working hard and studying hard and trying to be a good citizen.

Totally absurd.

[Seascamp]

Apparently his ?guardian? is his step-grandfather that took the boy in because the boy?s mother lived inside a schnapps bottle. Evidently this was a very informal arrangement during childhood and most likely the lad grew up thinking he was just one of the Yanqui-Gringo bunch. Now he knows otherwise.

He really needs to blow out of this place and get on home to a much better life, and do it today and not waste any daylight getting there. Regardless of work ethic or study habits or youth citizenship record, he is in the wrong ethnic group to compete with the total and absolute corruption lock Latinos have on the immigration-I.D. systems and shouldn?t even try; it could get real frustrating, nasty and dangerous.
The Mexican Mafia, at least, is known to be the loop and no doubt MS 13 and every other labor racketeer and criminal punk dot org in North America has a piece of the action. No one needs that levered and heavily biased BS when better alternatives are at hand.
He can get a much, much better deal in Germany so he needs to just go do it. Plus the young Fritz Gals aren?t at all hard to look at, and have a certain disposition about things and things that the Lad would find highly agreeable, most likely.

According to La Raza, some 70 thousand Latino illegals are graduating from US High Schools, right now, and it is alleged that they are ?University qualified?. So let?s just see how many of these get slam-dunked for presenting bogus doc whilst enrolling. The answer is none and will remain none. Easy pop quiz, huh.

Scamp

[MORTARDUDE]

I would imagine there are 40,000,000 other sob stories out there. I could care less. Send them all home.

Larry