update: illegal immigrant 'hero' honored by Mexico

[no name 1]

Immigrant ‘hero’ honored by U.S., Mexico

Mexican rescued 9-year-old in desert after mother died in car crash

NOGALES, Arizona - An illegal immigrant who rescued a 9-year-old after the boy's mother died in the Arizona desert was honored for his actions Tuesday by U.S. and Mexican officials at a border crossing here.

Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes, 26, stood shyly with his mother and stepfather as officials talked about his efforts to save Christopher Buchleitner on the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday.

"The desert has a way of rearranging priorities and to Manuel Jesus Cordova the priority was standing right in front of (him) that day," said Beatriz Lopez Gargallo, the Mexican consul general for Nogales. "And this man, this hero, did what men of honor do in all nations and in all cultures."

Authorities say if it had not been for Cordova, Christopher might be dead.

Cordova was two days into his journey from Mexico when he saw Christopher, alone and injured in the desert. He was dressed in shorts despite the desert cold, and his mother had just been killed when their van went over a cliff.

Cordova had said he gave the boy his sweater, fed him chocolate and cookies and built a bonfire. As the boy slept, Cordova kept watch and tended the fire.

"The only thing I was thinking about was keeping the boy warm," Cordova said Tuesday. "I was worried no one would come."

The two were discovered after a long, cold night in the desert by a group of hunters, who called authorities.

Christopher was flown to a hospital and later reunited with family members.

Cordova was taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol and agreed to return to his home in the Mexican state of Sonora without going through formal deportation proceedings.

The district director for U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva said Cordova deserved the opportunity to come to America to work and that the congressman plans to introduce legislation that will let him get a special visa. Such legislation rarely passes, but Grijalva aide Ruben Reyes said it was the only way they knew of to show their thanks.

source

Guess a simple 'THANK YOU' is not enough?

Edited December 4, 2007 by devilette

[Donna A 4]

i deserve a million dollars just for being me...why is no one depositing it into my account?

sorry illegal is illegal and saving someone is just being human. legals save lives every day and what do they get?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

It was a noble and unselfish thing that he did, but if Mexico is so proud of him, THEY can give him a cushy government job on their side of the border. Rep. Grijalva can ask them to to that for Cordova.

[ramos96 1]

I say push him to the front of the line in Mexico for permission to come to the US legally. This is the kind of guy/people we want in America, someone that helps others out at the cost of himself/herself, too many of my fellow LAZY ### Americans have forgotten this.

Don't get me wrong many Americans do help but I see and hear a lot more lip service than I see action.

Ramos

[peejay 327]

He deserves thanks for helping the kid, but that doesn't entitle him to cut in line to be given LPR status.

Why doesn't his own government of Mexico pony up and help out their own hero citizen out. That is where the peso really needs to stop in this whole debate. What about Mexico? It's not the USA's responsibility to do what his own government should be doing for him and his people.

[ramos96 1]

I said in Mexico, read more carefully please.

Ramos