This weekend, The Washington Post followed up on its previous stories about Juan Gomez (MSB ’11), a senior who is about to graduate but risks deportation.

Gomez came to the United States from Colombia with his family in 1990 on tourist visas and during that time his father applied for asylum, claiming that paramilitary fighters had threatened his family. The petition, which took several years and allowed for the family to become acclimated with the country, was eventually rejected.

Despite the rejection of the petition, the family remained in the country until immigration officials raided the Gomez household in 2007.

Gomez’s parents were deported, but due to a strong lobbying campaign by classmates and teachers, Gomez, along with his brother, were allowed to stay in the country through private bills in Congress sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd.

As he wraps up his senior year, Gomez has already received a job offer from J.P. Morgan Chase’s Latin American division, the same place he interned this past summer.

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Earlier this month, University President John DeGioia appeared on WAMU to support the passage of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.

“[The act] literally has been a dream since first introduced almost a decade ago. Before this session of Congress ends, basic fairness says it is time for this dream to become reality,” he said on the NPR-affiliated radio station.

Last Wednesday, the DREAM Act was approved by the House of Representatives. If passed by the Senate, the DREAM Act, which is sponsored by Senator Richard Durbin (SFS ’66, LAW ’69) will create a path to legal residency for those who came to the United States as undocumented immigrants under the age of 16. To earn residency, DeGioia added, these immigrants must meet “specific, high standards of excellence,” such as earning a high school diploma and attending college or entering the military.

“At Georgetown, students who meet the DREAM Act criteria are campus leaders and role models for their generation,” he said. “They are pursuing challenging majors, are actively engaged in campus organization, and regularly participate in community service.”

Last April, DeGioia wrote a letter [PDF] to congressional alumni to voice his support for the DREAM Act. According to the letter, he took a “particular interest” in the legislation after learning about Juan Gomez (MSB ’11), a student whose fight for residency was featured in the Washington Post Magazine in February 2009.

h/t Office of Federal Relations