Russian at Risk of Deportation Out of Jail

DEARBORN, Mich. - He's out of jail, but his freedom is still in question. We're following the story of Ivan Nikolov, a Russian man who has been in metro Detroit since he was a child, but is now at risk of being deported.

Nikolov was released from jail on Monday, but it is really just a first step in a battle that other local teens say they know far too well.

"I couldn't believe it. I was speechless. I still think it's a dream," said Nikolov.

However, for him, this moment is far sweeter than any dream. After months behind bars, Nikolov's finally out of jail.

Immigration officials arrested Nikolov and his mother on May 5. He and his mother immigrated from Russia when he was just eleven years old.

Officials deported his mother, and Nikolov feared the same thing could happen to him, but his friends and One Michigan launched a grass roots campaign for his release and it worked.

"I grew up here. It's all I know," Nikolov said. "I can't imagine going back to Russia."

However, an ankle bracelet is a stark reminder that his nightmare could become a reality.

"It's definitely not over. They could still deport me any day now," said Nikolov.

There are thousands of other young people who are living with the same fear.

"I don't know how I would feel going back to Mexico barely speaking any Spanish," said Jose Franco.

His parents brought him to the U.S. when he was just two years old. Since they came illegally, he can not become a legal citizen.

However, some are working to change that. They're hoping Congress passes the Dream Act, a law that would allow young people who came to the U.S. before they turned 16 to become citizens if they have no criminal records and serve two years in military or college.

"Simple things that people take for granted, I would be able to do and not be fearful," Franco said.

"Definitely feel like I belong in this country," Nikolov said.

Supporters say they won't stop fighting until the law recognizes that.

Nikolov is hoping to gain deferred status so he can stay in the U.S. for the next two years. The Dream Act could be up for a vote as early as September.