Walter Lara Gets a Postponement on His Deportation

The news is just out: Walter Lara, a 23-year-old graduate of Miami Dade College, and his supporters have succeeded in convincing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to defer his deportation for a year. The native of Argentina, who is undocumented, was set to be deported July 6. He and his backers used social-networking tools to raise awareness of his situation.

I just got a press release from First Focus, a national children's advocacy group that supported Lara's efforts to stay, announcing the news. Lara says in the press release that he's looking forward to celebrating Independence Day. He's lived in this country since age 3; he learned of his undocumented status first when he applied to college.

I mentioned Lara in my coverage of a mock graduation ceremony that undocumented students participated in on June 23 on Capitol Hill to urge the U.S. Congress to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM Act.

Christopher Spina of First Focus has sent me Web links that give a sense for what some people did, including holding a hunger strike, to back his cause.

Sample links:

—Walter Lara Facebook Group
—Walter Lara on Twitter
—Walter Lara on YouTube
—Daily KOS
—SEIU

By the way, this is the last post on this blog until Monday, July 6.