Juan Gomez (student)
Juan Gomez is a recent graduate from Miami Killian Senior High School that was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on July 25 because of a deportation order.Gomez who was 18 at the time had been residing in the US since the age of 2 with no real recollection of his native Colombia. As a result, former peers of the student have created a grassroots movement for the implementation of the DREAM Act, which would allow Gomez to remain in the country in order to further his education.
The Student
Gomez has GeneRally been described as a well-liked student with an astounding academic ability, having received almost all 5s on his Advanced Placement examinations, with the exception of two English exams (in which he received 4s), his second language. He also received a near perfect score on the SAT college admissions exam. Gomez was ranked at the top of his class despite certain handicaps he faced, such as not owning a computer. Because of his status in the country, Gomez was to attend Miami Dade Honors College on a scholarship.
Facebook Group
At the center of the student-led movement is Facebook, a popular networking site. Dream Act: Help Bring Back Juan Gomez is a group of over 2,000 students from around the country that support The Plight of Gomez. Behind the group is former classmates Jacob Hart and best friend of Gomez, Scott Elfenbein, a Harvard-bound student.
The Media
Along with a number of other students, Elfenbein has been on a number of local and national news programs in order to spread the word on the case, among them ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, and Univision.
Congressional Support
After visiting Congress in an effort to lobby for the act, the group has the support of Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen for the act and Congressmen Lincoln Diaz-Balart for a private bill to help Gomez.
External links
- [http://www.univision.com/content/videoplayer.jhtml?cid=1246168&clipid=446875088| Univision appearance] of Juan Gomez's peers
- News 7 story on Gomez's plight