Boston Teacher's Deportation Delayed (Kerry steps in)
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=550401&page=1
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Obain Attouoman, a Boston special education teacher, is fighting to avoid deportation.
March 4, 2005 -- Obain Attouoman, a Boston special education teacher who was facing deportation because he missed a hearing four years ago, has been granted a reprieve, thanks to the support of hundreds of his students and fellow teachers.
The students and teachers had held numerous rallies outside the Boston offices of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and on Thursday six of Attouoman's Fenway High School students met with Massachussetts Sen. John Kerry.
The former Democratic presidential candidate then filed a bill to stop the deportation of the math teacher.
Attouoman, a native of Ivory Coast who had been ordered to leave the country by today, and his students learned Thursday evening that the teacher was granted a reprieve until early 2007.
"I made it a rule of mine to hope as long as you are alive that hopefully something will happen that will make Homeland Security officials change their mind," Attouoman said.
Attouoman left the Ivory Coast in 1992, seeking political asylum. But he missed a critical deportation hearing four years ago, was jailed for three months and lost an appeal.
His situation brought a great outpouring of support from his students and colleagues, and that brought a response from many Massachusetts politicians. But until Kerry's action on Thursday, nothing had changed the mind of Homeland Security officials.
Attouoman said what surprised him most was the generosity of so many people â€â€
Boston Teacher's Deportation Delayed (Kerry steps in)
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=550401&page=1
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_te...n_050216_t.jpg
Obain Attouoman, a Boston special education teacher, is fighting to avoid deportation.
March 4, 2005 -- Obain Attouoman, a Boston special education teacher who was facing deportation because he missed a hearing four years ago, has been granted a reprieve, thanks to the support of hundreds of his students and fellow teachers.
The students and teachers had held numerous rallies outside the Boston offices of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and on Thursday six of Attouoman's Fenway High School students met with Massachussetts Sen. John Kerry.
The former Democratic presidential candidate then filed a bill to stop the deportation of the math teacher.
Attouoman, a native of Ivory Coast who had been ordered to leave the country by today, and his students learned Thursday evening that the teacher was granted a reprieve until early 2007.
"I made it a rule of mine to hope as long as you are alive that hopefully something will happen that will make Homeland Security officials change their mind," Attouoman said.
Attouoman left the Ivory Coast in 1992, seeking political asylum. But he missed a critical deportation hearing four years ago, was jailed for three months and lost an appeal.
His situation brought a great outpouring of support from his students and colleagues, and that brought a response from many Massachusetts politicians. But until Kerry's action on Thursday, nothing had changed the mind of Homeland Security officials.
Attouoman said what surprised him most was the generosity of so many people â€â€
