Valedictorian's Deportation Halted

Last week, we noted the possible deportation of a high school valedictorian from Fresno, California. A private bill on behalf of the student and his family has now been introduced in the Senate. Brad Branan and Vanessa Colon write for the Fresno Bee:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill today seeking to halt deportation proceedings against Arthur Mkoyan, the valedictorian at Fresno's Bullard High School.

Arthur, whose case has attracted national attention, is graduating from high school today. Arthur has been planning to attend the University of California at Davis, where he has been accepted.

Feinstein’s bill also applies to Arthur’s mother and father, who is being held in detention in Arizona, said Scott Gerber, a Feinstein spokesman. Arthur's 12-year-old brother is a U.S. citizen because he was born here, Gerber said.
In a prepared statement, Feinstein said: “This is a family that has deep roots in the community and has worked hard. The children have excelled in school. So I am introducing a private bill to ensure that they can stay in this country.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ordered Arthur and his mother to leave the United States by late June and return to Armenia, a country Arthur hasn't seen since he was 2. Arthur's family fled the former Soviet Union and has been seeking asylum since 1992. Click here for the full story.

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