Help a Brother Out: Valedictorian Threatened With Deportation

Seventeen-year-old Arthur Mkoyan plans on studying medicine at California State. And as valedictorian, with a “grade-point average above 4.0″ at Bullard High School in Fresno, California, that should be no problem. Problem is, he’s being deported.

No, he’s not Mexican. He’s Armenian. According to CNN, before coming to the Untied States, his father reported being asked to register stolen vehicles at the Armenian DMV, and he was told to “not worry about it” by the chief of the DMV. In the months and years that followed, he was attacked and harassed repeatedly, just for being an honest man, and his family feared for their lives.

In 1992, their house was burnt down–arson. The family fled to Russia, then finally to the United States, in 1995. They entered the country on a six-month tourist visa, found steady work, had another child, and Arthur went to school.

But their application to stay in the US was denied–meaning Arthur and his family could get Uncle Sam’s boot back to Armenia at any time. Both attempts at appeal ended in rejection, the jury unconvinced of the Mkoyan’s remaining fear of retribution, back in Armenia.

Today, after 10 years of battling in the courts, the family is set to be deported. The Office of Immigration has allowed them to stay until after Arthur’s graduation, but are not swayed by his academic achievements.

“I would remind people that this family had ample access to due process,” Immigration P.R. representative, Virginia Kice told CNN. “The case has been in litigation for more than 10 years. Immigration experts on every level determined that they had no legal basis to be in the United States.”

While that may currently be true, California Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) may attempt a “private bill,” which would allow the Mkoyans to stay in the country, all because of Arthur’s valedictorian status. But these types of bills are difficult to pass, and rarely do.

Now, I understand why people would argue that Arthur and his family have no right to stay. They entered the country illegally, and the law requires they be forcefully removed–and never allowed to return…

Ok, since when did immigrants, hard work, ingenuity, and success have such little value in America? There is a reason Arthur’s family, like many families–probably like your family–came to the United States, and made a life here : Their country was too corrupt, unfair and dangerous for an honest man to survive.

But more so because our country once stood as a beacon of hope for the world–a glimmering last resort, where they would be taken in, treated fairly, and be able to make a life for themselves. It’s not like people enjoy being ripped from their homes, their extended family thrown light-years away, trapped in America–because if they leave, they won’t get back in.

All I’m saying is that I certainly wasn’t valedictorian, and I get to stay here and work. And the only difference is that Arthur got here when he was 4-years-old, and I was lucky enough to be born here. Even his younger brother, who was born here, has a right to stay. I know there are laws and statutes, but maybe there should be a statute that says if you make something of yourself when you get here, you get to stay.

Arthur asked CNN to publish his email address (artmkoyan@gmail.com), so if you want to contact him with letters of support, go for it. He needs all the support he can get.

(image soures: Latin-American Studies, CNN, Metal Shop)