Colombian valedictorian allowed to stay in the US

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) granted a two-year reprieve of deportation to Colombian-born high school student Daniela Pelaez, said international media Wednesday.

The ICE decision comes after more than 2,600 of Pelaez’s classmates and teachers marched in protest of her impending deportation.

In their decision the agency said, “ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of criminal aliens, recent border crossers and egregious immigration law violators, such as those who have been previously removed from the United States and returned.”

Last summer the Obama administration said it would ease U.S. deportation policies to keep low-priority cases from resulting in removal.

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