Eric C. Orduh is a graduate of Southwestern University, Cebu City, Philippines. With his

strong academic prominence, he graduated with a Latin Honor “MAGNA CUM LAUDE” on

March 25^th, 2014. The 22 years old graduate who hails from Port-Harcourt, Rivers State

took up the degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Financial

Management has demonstrated an excellent performance in his academics.

Amedu, Eshiobor Thompson graduated from the University of the Visayas, Cebu City,

Philippines. He successfully bagged a Latin Honor “CUM LAUDE” on March, 20^th 2014 upon

graduation. The 23 years old graduate hails from Edo state. He took up the degree in

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Financial Management and has

proven to have an excellent capability in his academics.

NEW YORK FAMILY FIGHTING SON’S FEDERAL DEPORTATION ORDER.

Juan Carlos Romero seems like a typical New York City college student. He has a shy smile

with wire braces, and he lives with his parents and sister in the melting pot

neighborhood of Jackson Heights in Queens, New York. But he refrains from talking with

friends at school about spring break plans or summer vacations.

“It’s disheartening, I don’t know too many undocumented people, so when they talk about

traveling and doing all sorts of fun stuff, I just have to stay away and avoid those

conversations,” said Romero, 20.

He and his sister, Denise Romero, arrived in New York from Mexico with their parents

when they were 8 and 10 years old, respectively. Like many of the other estimated 11

million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, the Romero's knew life in

New York could be tenuous. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at

the Department of Homeland Security, more than 1.8 million people have been deported

since President Barack Obama took office. That number is expected to reach 2 million this

month.

“As the older sibling, my mom always prepared me for what to do if they were deported in

a raid,” Denise Romero said. “In my first years in New York, I was always aware we were

undocumented. That was something our parents made sure of, and so there was a feeling of

fear because we always knew city agencies could mean deportation, that (ICE) raid could

happen.”

But the family wasn’t prepared for the day in 2011 when Juan Carlos Romero, then 17, was

stopped, frisked and arrested on minor marijuana possession and trespassing charges

while leaving his high school. After he violated his probation, Romero said, the judge sent

him to jail at Rikers Island for five days as a time out. ICE agents were waiting for him when

he was released and took him to an immigration detention center housed in one wing of a

county jail in New Jersey.

Three years later, Romero and his family are still fighting the deportation order. If he loses

his last appeal in June, he will be deported to Mexico, a country he has not seen in more

than a decade.”It’s a lot of weight on me, and it does change me. It makes me feel like an

ugly person sometimes,” he said.

“When you have someone in your family who is in deportation proceedings, it stops your

entire life,” Denise Romero said.”It’s something I carry with me all the time. It’s hard for me

to think about a future where I am not with my brother.”

Olakunle O. Bolarinwa,

Is a Nightline Family Member Of The Voice Of America {VOA}.       

E0-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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