While Congress Flounders On Immigration, This Immigrant Roots Teen Put His Life On The Line To Save Others

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, MIAMI, FL, Fri. Feb. 23, 2018: On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2018, while lawmakers in Washington were still floundering around trying begrudgingly to compromise on a bill to decide the future of tens of thousands of young immigrant Dreamers who have known no other home but America, an immigrant roots teen was in a classroom at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida.

By all likelihood, it was going to be just another school day for 15-year-old Anthony Borges. But by 2:20 p.m. that afternoon, his life and the lives of his friends and families would be forever changed.

As the deranged, gun loving, immigrant, black and Jew-hating former Douglas High student started his shooting rampage, armed with an AR-15 automatic rifle, Anthony, whose roots extend to Venezuela in South America, stepped up to save his classmates lives.

This Latin American immigrant did not think, procrastinate or flounder! Instead, from all reports given by his friends, the soccer player quickly and without hesitancy, put his life on the line to save others.

How many in Congress, who love to hate on immigrants and question their rights to be in this country, including the President, can say they would do the same?

Anthony did not have to do what he did. He could have run and hid; tried to save his own skin.

Instead, Anthony used his body essentially as a human shield. As his fellow classmate, Carlos Rodriguez told ABC News, when none in the class knew what to do as gunshots rang out, Anthony stepped up and took initiative.

He ensured some 19 other students made it back safely into a classroom and then tried to lock the door.

Anthony was shot as he held his ground in the doorway trying to close the door, putting his body between the bullets and his classmates, who all survived unharmed.

He was shot five times, including in both legs and in his back.  Anthony remains in the hospital in Broward County, Florida.  His road ahead to recovery is long and will undoubtedly be arduous; his left upper thigh bone was shattered and one bullet went through his back.

His father, Roger Borges, told ABC, that several arteries in one of Anthony’s leg was destroyed by the bullets Nikolas Cruz so callously and hatefully sprayed.

We can only pray that one day, Anthony will be able to play soccer again.

For now, many are calling Anthony a hero, including Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel who visited Anthony Sunday. On his family’s GofundMe page, where the donations have now passed over $124,000, many Americans of all races, are also weighing in, calling Anthony a “brave young man” and a “a true hero” as well.

The reality is that there are many immigrants and Dreamers who like Anthony, have put their lives on the line and continue to put their lives on the line for America and their friends, neighbors and all Americans.

If many in Congress are truly sorry for what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, the least they could do is to honor Anthony’s selfless action by moving swiftly to give Dreamers and immigrants a path to some form of legalization. Prayers and being sorry is not enough. It is time for action and true patronage; and that can start by truly honoring the sacrifice of this immigrant roots teen who was willing to put his life on the line to protect others like a true American!

The writer is CMO at Hard Beat Communications, Inc. which owns the brands: NewsAmericasNow, CaribPRWire and InvestCaribbeanNow.