Teen who faced deportation in '05 celebrates in U.S.

The case garnered attention far beyond western Ohio.
OTTAWA, Ohio (AP) -- A German teenager who spent last Christmas in a jail cell facing deportation said he's glad to celebrate the holidays with his family in Ohio this year.
Despite a pending immigration hearing and his uncertain status, Manuel Bartsch is carrying on with his life -- working and applying to colleges -- in hopes of becoming a permanent resident.
"I knew what it was like not to have anyone on Christmas, so that makes it twice as meaningful this year," Bartsch said.
Looking back
Bartsch, then 18, was arrested Dec. 21, 2005, and jailed for more than two weeks after immigration officials discovered that the step-grandfather who brought Bartsch to the United States eight years earlier never completed paperwork to make his stay legal.
The case sparked a groundswell of support from friends and neighbors and eventually garnered attention far beyond western Ohio.
The deportation hearings were halted when a judge intervened and federal legislation was introduced that would have allowed Bartsch to stay. The bill never passed, but U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor, a Tiffin Republican, will introduce a new measure in January that would provide Bartsch permanent residency, spokesman Brad Mascho said.
Bartsch returned to school and graduated along with his 42 classmates from Pandora-Gilboa High School in May. He moved in with an uncle in Ottawa, about 65 miles southwest of Toledo, and got a job working for a satellite television company while he applies to colleges.
Despite the reprieve, Bartsch is still awaiting an immigration hearing, which could come with as little as 10 days' notice, said his lawyer, David Leopold.
"Manuel's case really became a symbol of how broken our immigration system is," Leopold said. "People think of undocumented citizens in harsh terms. But when they're the boy next door or the girl next door, it hits home how broken our immigration system is."
Despite his detention, Bartsch doesn't harbor resentment toward immigration authorities.
Quotable
"I tried to learn from it. It's the best thing I can do," he said. "I can't gripe about it because it is really just going to set me back if I do that. I'm just trying to better myself."
Moving on includes spending more time with his girlfriend and family. He hopes to select a college and enroll in classes by mid-2007.
Bartsch, now 19, said he used to make short appearances at his family's Christmas dinner, but memories of last year's lonely holiday and horrible food made him appreciate the gathering. He planned a longer stay this year.
"I can't wait for the Christmas food," Bartsch said.