No Deportation for Florida High School Valedictorian

The high school valedictorian of a Florida high school will not be deported and will get a two-year reprieve, according to reports.
No Deportation for Florida High School Valedictorian
3/7/2012
Updated:
4/20/2012

The high school valedictorian of a Florida high school will not be deported and will get a two-year reprieve, according to reports.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it would allow Daniela Pelaez, the valedictorian of North Miami Senior High School, to stay in the United States, according to the Miami Herald.

Pelaez’s story has achieved national attention and thousands of students and others came to her defense. She came to the United States from Colombia when she was 4 years old with her parents.

“She’s very happy she’s going to be able to finish high school and go into finals with a clear mind,” her attorney Nera Shefter told the Miami Herald.

Nestor Yglesias, a spokesperson with ICE, said, “The agency exercises prosecutorial discretion, on a case by case basis, as necessary to focus resources on our stated priorities,” according to a statement obtained by the Herald.