Senator Urges U.S. Residency for Teen

NORTHRIDGE —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has introduced a bill seeking to grant permanent U.S. residency to Tony Lara, 19, who came from El Salvador as a 10-year-old and grew up here without his parents.

Currently, immigration law bars granting U.S. citizenship to minors from other countries unless their parents are also seeking citizenship, according to Feinstein.

Lara’s mother died in 1990 and his father abandoned him and his sister in 1994.

Lara and his sister remained in the country, living with friends and family members. He eventually became a star wrestler at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills and now lives with his wrestling coach in Northridge.

“I can think of no one more deserving of permanent residency in this country,” Feinstein said in a statement. “Tony has faced one tragic setback after another. In spite of enormous odds, Tony has become a high school graduate, a California Wrestling Champion and an inspiration to his community.”

In 1990, Lara and his younger sister, Olga, were brought to the United States by their parents, who were fleeing civil war in El Salvador, according to his attorney, Judy London. Later that year, his mother was deported, and drowned while trying to cross the border back into the United States.

London said Lara’s father abandoned him and his sister after turning to drugs. He was kicked out of the country in 1994 and never contacted his children again.

At age 11, Lara became a surrogate father to his sister. The youngsters somehow got by, sometimes living with friends, sometimes with extended family or even strangers, he said.

“I really don’t know how to explain it,” Lara said. “The way I was raised I knew I had to stay in school and make sure that my sister stayed in school. And was loved.” Added London: “If there were days where there wasn’t enough money for both of them to eat, he would go hungry and make sure his little sister ate.”

The pair eventually drifted to the San Fernando Valley where Philip and Lynda Bracken invited the children to live with them. The couple later adopted Olga, who has permanent U.S. residency.

Feinstein said the couple could not afford to adopt both children, and Lara went on to live with other friends, going homeless at times. He still attended El Camino, where he never missed a day of classes and got involved in the wrestling team in 1996.

Three years later, he took third place in the state wrestling championship in the 98-pound weight division.

In Coach Terry Fischer, he found a mentor and father figure. The coach took the teenager to live with his family, even after Lara graduated high school and went on to business classes at West Valley Occupational Center.

Lara is also an assistant wrestling coach at the high school, Fischer said.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for a kid that is extremely grateful . . . ,” Fischer said.