Shane Bevel / NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Luis Grijalva was running against the clock but this time it wasn t on a track.
The Northern Arizona University track star qualified in June to run at the Tokyo Olympics representing his home country of Guatemala. But leaving the United States to compete abroad wasn t an option.
Grijalva is a DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, recipient. He was born in Guatemala but came to the U.S. at the age of one.
If he left the U.S. without a special permit from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Office, he would be self-deporting and would not be allowed back. But the process of obtaining a permit, known as advance parole, can take months.
His DACA Status Almost Dashed His Olympic Hopes He Just Got The All-Clear
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His DACA Status Almost Dashed His Olympic Hopes He Just Got The All-Clear
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