ROOSEVELT, Long Island (WABC) -- An 18-year-old student from Long Island who was weeks away from graduating high school when he was detained by ICE, has agreed to self deport to Guatemala.
Superintendent of Roosevelt School District, Dr. Shawn Wightman, told Eyewitness News that Alvaro Velasquez's diploma and gown are still sitting in his office, and that the teen was frightened to go back to Guatemala.
"Certainly. You know, he came here for a reason," Dr. Wightman said.
Velasquez came to the United States alone from Guatemala when he was just 16. The teen, whose mother died, and father was not in the picture, did it at great risk, but teachers say he appreciated every moment he had, perhaps more than most.
"He was so wonderful. He was the student that every teacher would dream to hav