Deportation reprieve extended for two Miami brothers

Luis F. Perez | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Juan and Alex Gomez, two Miami brothers who came to represent the plight of many young undocumented immigrant students, got another reprieve from deportation this week.

U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., on Tuesday filed what's called a private bill on their behalf to keep them in the country through 2011. Two years ago, Dodd and U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, filed similar bills, but they expired last year. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had scheduled to deport them to Colombia on March 15 .

The Gomez brothers, who came to this country as toddlers, were at the center of a media maelstrom two years ago when advocates pushed for a bill called the Dream Act. The measure would allow undocumented immigrant students to pursue college or military careers.

Their parents were deported in 2007. Juan now studies finance at Georgetown University and Alex attends Miami Dade College.