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Susan Wood ReportingHis teachers call him one of the best and brightest with a great future. Now that future is in jeopardy, caught up in a maze of red tape.
That 17-year-old student, Hernan Castro, was bound for BYU. Now he's stuck in Peru. He was trying to pursue his dream of going to law school here in Utah, but got trapped in the red tape of US Immigration Law.
Eurocia Castro came to Utah two years ago with her husband and son on a tourist visa, and to check out the university her only child dreamed of attending. He wanted to go to BYU and become a lawyer.
Before their tourist visa expired, they applied for a business visa. They decided to expand their company, which processes patents and copyrights. Hernan enrolled in high school in Orem.
Hernan, known by his friends as Alex, graduated from mountain view high school last year with honors and a college scholarship. He was known by his teachers as an exceptional student with amazing potential.
Hernan was accepted at BYU, but the family's new visas never came. The INS had acknowledged receiving the application, but lost track of the papers. After his mother sent in a second application Hernan went back to Peru to get proof he was here legally. Instead, his passport was cancelled and he was banned from the US for ten years.
We spoke with him today on an internet webcam link from Peru.
Hernan "Alex" Castro: “We go to the US to produce, and that’s not bad. So I don’t know why it’s taking so long.”
Meanwhile, Hernan's mother is growing weary and relies on her family for strength.
Eurocia Castro: "When you start new things you have to be strong, you know…Come here soon because I need you; I love you my son.”
Meanwhile, there is some good news to report. The ban on Hernan's passport was just lifted. But now, but before Hernan returns, his mother must prove she's here legally.
