of good moral character

At six his father taught him to cook, at nine he
learned to box and at 14 he held odd jobs, so at
16 when he was suddenly on his own, Isaac Jr.
had no reservations about fending for himself.

His father, Isaac Sr., did not want to abandon his son, but as they were both living in the country illegally he predicted that separation was inevitable. Though Isaac Sr. worked, paid taxes and was law abiding, the only real control he had over his set of circumstances, he thought, was teaching Isaac Jr. to be self-reliant for that fateful day when they would have to part.

This January, Isaac Sr. agreed to voluntary deportation to Mexico after if was discovered that he was an undocumented immigrant. By April he was gone.

"He always told me he wasn't going to be around," Isaac Jr. said. "He wanted me to learn as much as I could because the more I knew the better chance I would have for a good future."

Birthright shouldn't preclude a bright future. This is the sentiment of many who have helped put Isaac Jr., an illegal immigrant, on the path towards obtaining proper documentation to stay in the country.

Currently Isaac Jr. is in the custody of the state, attending his senior year in high school and training at the local boxing gym.

“I was taught to never retreat," he said.