Fresno Bee, CA
June 7 2008

Armenian student pleads for letters to Sen. Feinstein

By Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee

Arthur Mkoyan, the Bullard High School valedictorian who may be
deported to Armenia this month, is counting on letters of support from
across the state and nation to help him.

Arthur, 17, of Fresno pleaded to classmates, friends and teachers at
Bullard High School on Friday to write letters to Democratic
Sen. Dianne Feinstein encouraging her to introduce legislation that
would enable him and his parents to stay in the Untied States.

Friday was his last day of class at the school. Arthur will graduate
Tuesday at the Save Mart Center. The valedictorian with a 4.0
grade-point average drew attention across the nation after his story
first appeared in The Bee. Arthur has been planning to attend the
University of California at Davis, where he has been accepted.

The letters of support are important, Arthur said.

"It’s to convince the people who are judging the private bill," Arthur
said. "Hopefully, they will introduce the bill by the end of next week
so all of us can stay."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ordered Arthur and his mother
to leave the United States by late June and return to Armenia, a
country Arthur hasn’t seen since he was 2. His 12-year-old brother, a
U.S. citizen, has no other choice but to leave with Arthur and his
mother if they’re deported, the family has said.

Arthur’s family fled the former Soviet Union and has been seeking
asylum since 1992.

Arthur’s father, Ruben Mkoian, ran a general store and worked as a
police officer in the then-Soviet Republic of Armenia, where he was
threatened by former Soviet government workers as the Soviet Union was
breaking up, Arthur’s mother has said.

Mkoian applied for asylum but was rejected. Mkoian, who spells his
name differently from his son, appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court
of Appeals in San Francisco. He lost his appeal. Mkoian is being held
at a detention center in Arizona.

Feinstein, who has introduced private bills in the past, is gathering
Arthur’s information to introduce a bill on his behalf, according to
Feinstein’s office in Washington, D.C. Feinstein’s office still is
waiting on some information from Arthur’s family, such as letters from
the school and church that provide a picture of their situation.

"The most important thing for them is to get as much information as
they can so Feinstein can make a decision," said Scott Gerber, a
spokesman for Feinstein.

If introduced, the bill would halt the deportation. If it passes, he
would receive a green card. But private bills rarely pass, according
to Feinstein’s office.

On Thursday, Arthur visited the local office of Rep. George
Radanovich, R-Mariposa. The staff listened to his story and planned to
help Feinstein’s office draft a private bill, Arthur said.

The congressman has sent a letter to Feinstein supporting her
legislation on behalf of Arthur, Radanovich spokesman Spencer Pederson
said Friday. The letter notes that such a bill was unlikely to pass in
the House, but that previous legislation of this nature has been
successful in the Senate.

On Monday, Radanovich plans to meet with the Armenian ambassador to
the United States to ask that, if deportation can’t be prevented,
Arthur be allowed to apply for a student visa to return to the United
States, Pederson said.

Ara Jabagchourian, an attorney in San Francisco who specializes in
civil litigation and antitrust, offered his services to Arthur and his
family for free.

Jabagchourian, a graduate of California State University, Fresno, said
Friday that he plans to call Feinstein and Radanovich, as well as
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno. He said he
also will seek a U.S. Supreme Court writ to stop deportation.

"My goal is to keep the entire family here," Jabagchourian said.

Arthur said he still is surprised by the overwhelming response he has
received from the public and the media.

"The help is much appreciated," he said.

More informationHow to help
Mail letters to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, United States Senate, 331 Hart
Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. Or call (202)
224-3841. To fax: (202) 228-3954. Go to
www. feinstein.senate.gov/public to e-mail.

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