INDIANAPOLIS —
A couple dozen relatives and friends greeted an Indiana high school homecoming queen early today as she arrived back in the state after being stuck in her native Mexico for six weeks because of immigration problems.
Supporters cheered and sang “Back Home Again in Indiana” when Frankfort High School senior Elizabeth Olivas walked into the main plaza of Indianapolis International Airport.
The 18-year-old told reporters that it felt awesome to be back. Olivas is the salutatorian of her senior class and said that the best gift was being able to return in time for Saturday’s graduation ceremony.
“It was worth it because in the end, I’m good and I can continue to pursue my dreams,” she said.
Olivas has lived in Indiana since she was 4 years old. She traveled to Mexico in April with her father, a naturalized U.S. citizen, to meet a requirement that she get a visa or green card within six months of her 18th birthday, but her lawyer says she missed that deadline by one day because of a leap year miscalculation.
Indianapolis attorney Sarah Moshe said Olivas received the visa Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez.
Frankfort High School Principal Steve Edwards said he was glad Olivas would be back at the school, about 35 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
“She’s a model citizen. She’s one of our best,” Edwards said. “She’s a well-liked kid and she’s involved in the school and the community. You can’t find too many better.”
Olivas said she’ll be thanking her classmates and other supporters during her salutatorian speech.
“I’ve lived in Frankfort all my life,” she said. “I’ve been around those people all my life and it matters to me that I’m there.”
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