A high School senior named Daniela Peleaz, came to this country at age 4 with her parents. She lived here since then and at age 18, is Valedictorian at North Miami High School. So far she has been accepted for admission by Yale University. And now a federal judge has ruled she should be returned to Columbia.
On February 12, 2011, I wrote a post about Hugo. Unfortunately, in Hugo's case, the immigration ruling came months after Hugo graduated. At the time he was employed by the Nieman Marcus Department Store near Miami Beach,
This is a repost.
A tennis pupil of mine since he was 12, Raz, who now played played #1 (tennis) for Miami Beach Hi. introduced me to Hugo. Hugo asked would I help him with tennis. Which I did. He heard about the ‘Dwight’s Computers for Kids’ program, volunteered to help, and we became friends. Hugo had a torturous schedule. After school he came to practice tennis and then went to his apartment to change. At 5:30 he went to work at a Chinese restaurant delivering call in orders and what ever else needed to be done. After that he parked cars for a valet service at a hotel.. Every day. On weekends he also helped his girlfriend sell sandwiches from a pushcart and after work at the restaurant he valet(ed until 3 in the morning. He picked up and delivered 'day old' bread for the Sunday congregation at his church. With computers from Dwight's Kids program he set up a lab at his and other churches in Dade County. He never refused to help anyone. His use of time amazed his teachers at school who used him for odd jobs which he did willingly and when he graduated a friend recommended him for the job he was vacating for college. Everyone at school knew and loved Hugo. Anyway, the job, asst. mgr. of the shoe department at Macys. A few weeks later the shoe dept. mgr. of another store, closer to his apartment, offered him a similar job as his assistant. He said 'yes' and gave 2 week notice. He asked his new boss if he could sell shoes during his 'extra' time. Soon he became #2 in shoe sales. With commission and salary his income soared to almost $1,000.00 a week. he was only months out of high school. Unbelievable.
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| Hugo, at Beach Hi meeting. |
This is a repost.
A tennis pupil of mine since he was 12, Raz, who now played played #1 (tennis) for Miami Beach Hi. introduced me to Hugo. Hugo asked would I help him with tennis. Which I did. He heard about the ‘Dwight’s Computers for Kids’ program, volunteered to help, and we became friends. Hugo had a torturous schedule. After school he came to practice tennis and then went to his apartment to change. At 5:30 he went to work at a Chinese restaurant delivering call in orders and what ever else needed to be done. After that he parked cars for a valet service at a hotel.. Every day. On weekends he also helped his girlfriend sell sandwiches from a pushcart and after work at the restaurant he valet(ed until 3 in the morning. He picked up and delivered 'day old' bread for the Sunday congregation at his church. With computers from Dwight's Kids program he set up a lab at his and other churches in Dade County. He never refused to help anyone. His use of time amazed his teachers at school who used him for odd jobs which he did willingly and when he graduated a friend recommended him for the job he was vacating for college. Everyone at school knew and loved Hugo. Anyway, the job, asst. mgr. of the shoe department at Macys. A few weeks later the shoe dept. mgr. of another store, closer to his apartment, offered him a similar job as his assistant. He said 'yes' and gave 2 week notice. He asked his new boss if he could sell shoes during his 'extra' time. Soon he became #2 in shoe sales. With commission and salary his income soared to almost $1,000.00 a week. he was only months out of high school. Unbelievable.
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| Hugo, delivering computer for kids. |
He had a 'Students green card" but wanted permanent residency so he hired a lawyer on a high floor in a downtown Miami building. He asked me to accompany him to the hearing. On the floor of the hearing I met a friend who asked what I was doing there and when I told him he asked the judge's name. Hearing the name he then said, "If he’s a friend, get him out of here right now. Say he’s sick or whatever." I tried. His lawyer did not know anything negative about the judge. Hugo was so excited he wanted the hearing now.
The judge refused his request and ruled he had to return to Columbia. The manager of the store, one of this country’s most prestigious chains, his boss’s boss, offered to help "in any way I can”
(Two years later his application for a tourist visa was refused because of the ‘denial’ for permanent residency.) Everytime I think of it, it makes me laugh with tears. We threw Hugo out of the country. I still find it hard to believe.The judge refused his request and ruled he had to return to Columbia. The manager of the store, one of this country’s most prestigious chains, his boss’s boss, offered to help "in any way I can”
In Columbia with the help of a tennis scholarship he graduated from college.
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