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NEW HAVEN, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
A New Haven, Missouri teen faces an uncertain future after his Friday high school graduation. He's an illegal alien, but for most of his life, he didn't know it. Noe Guzman came to the United States from Mexico when he was four. He's been living in Franklin County for the last six years.
New Haven, a whistle stop town of fewer than 2-thousand boasts an old time Main Street that fits the picture of Americana. Noe thought he was part of that picture.
"I always considered myself an American child, an American kid growing up," he says, "and all my friends considered me one of them, and then one day the tables kind of turned."
The reason they turned is ironic. Noe wants to go to college, and eventually become an anesthesiologist. To meet his goal, he planned to join the Marine Corps. He scored high on the initial test, and then returned to take a physical last year.
While waiting after doing paperwork, he was told there was a problem and taken to a back room.
"Once I went back there with them they kind of accused me of knowing my situation and trying to lie to them and such and they put me in deportation proceedings and I was shocked."
He was caught because he was using a phony social security number. The problem was, he didn't know it. His mother never told him he was illegal.
"We always talked about immigrants not having jobs or anything and it never seemed like that for us. And whenever I asked my mom to go to work for the first time she gave me a social security card."
Earlier this semester, he got some good news. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, dropped its pursuit of deportation. Guzman can stay in this country, and, as long as he stays out of legal trouble, go to school and go about his business. But he's still considered an illegal alien.
"I'm still in limbo. ICE leaves me in limbo. I don't have to go back. I can stay here and attend college at a private college.. But it's really stressful. You can't get a job. Can't afford many things."
His best hope is a bill currently in Congress called the Dream Act. It would allow for illegal aliens who were brought to the U.S. as children to complete their education. If they get a two year college degree, and serve two years in the military, they would be eligible for citizenship.
Both Missouri Senators have been on the record against the Dream Act, though Guzman says he's spoken to Claire McCaskill about it, and he'd like to talk some more.
"She said that this time she might vote for it. So that's definitely a motivator. I want to go around if I can this summer and influence, tell my story to different senators."
Guzman says he still thinks often of being a Marine. He sees it as a step toward a degree, and his future. But, for now, that future remains somewhat up in the air.
New Haven, a whistle stop town of fewer than 2-thousand boasts an old time Main Street that fits the picture of Americana. Noe thought he was part of that picture.
"I always considered myself an American child, an American kid growing up," he says, "and all my friends considered me one of them, and then one day the tables kind of turned."
The reason they turned is ironic. Noe wants to go to college, and eventually become an anesthesiologist. To meet his goal, he planned to join the Marine Corps. He scored high on the initial test, and then returned to take a physical last year.
While waiting after doing paperwork, he was told there was a problem and taken to a back room.
"Once I went back there with them they kind of accused me of knowing my situation and trying to lie to them and such and they put me in deportation proceedings and I was shocked."
He was caught because he was using a phony social security number. The problem was, he didn't know it. His mother never told him he was illegal.
"We always talked about immigrants not having jobs or anything and it never seemed like that for us. And whenever I asked my mom to go to work for the first time she gave me a social security card."
Earlier this semester, he got some good news. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, dropped its pursuit of deportation. Guzman can stay in this country, and, as long as he stays out of legal trouble, go to school and go about his business. But he's still considered an illegal alien.
"I'm still in limbo. ICE leaves me in limbo. I don't have to go back. I can stay here and attend college at a private college.. But it's really stressful. You can't get a job. Can't afford many things."
His best hope is a bill currently in Congress called the Dream Act. It would allow for illegal aliens who were brought to the U.S. as children to complete their education. If they get a two year college degree, and serve two years in the military, they would be eligible for citizenship.
Both Missouri Senators have been on the record against the Dream Act, though Guzman says he's spoken to Claire McCaskill about it, and he'd like to talk some more.
"She said that this time she might vote for it. So that's definitely a motivator. I want to go around if I can this summer and influence, tell my story to different senators."
Guzman says he still thinks often of being a Marine. He sees it as a step toward a degree, and his future. But, for now, that future remains somewhat up in the air.
