Heidelberg grad seeks a normal life in U.S.

lilbawler2001 · 05-05-2012, 08:16 AM

Quote:

IFFIN -- Seven years ago when he was thrown in jail and nearly deported, Manuel Bartsch was a young man without a country. Next week, the 24-year-old student will be a college graduate without a country.
Mr. Bartsch, whose case garnered international media attention when just a few days before Christmas, 2005, he was arrested by immigration agents in Cleveland and nearly deported to Germany, is set to graduate May 13 from Heidelberg University with a bachelor's degree in political science.
Despite his proud achievement, the Putnam County man remains "undocumented" status, does not have a Social Security number or a driver's license, and quite frankly isn't sure what's next.

Quote:

David Leopold, a Cleveland immigration attorney who took on his case when Mr. Bartsch was jailed as a senior at Pandora-Gilboa High School, said the government has dropped its case against him. But he remains in a legal limbo unless and until Congress changes the law to enable people like Mr. Bartsch to apply for citizenship.
"The good news is they're not pursuing him in terms of removing him," Mr. Leopold said. "The bad news is there's no status. He's not in a position to put himself on a pathway to compliance, which he really wants to do."

Although Mr. Bartsch has been in a long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart -- and she is talking marriage, he said -- he agreed, as part of the terms of his release, that he would not marry a U.S. citizen in order to stay in the country legally. ( That's messed up)

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/201...fe-in-U-S.html

Most dreamers who were in his position have always been allowed to get a work permit, ssn etc after they were given a stay of deportation. I wonder why an exception wasn't made for him.