Glen Cove DREAMer Attends State Of The Union Address

Rep. Tom Suozzi invited Glen Cove resident and DREAMer Nelson Melgar to be his guest at the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night.

Melgar, 27, was born in Honduras and was brought to the United States when he was 13 years old. He is currently at risk of deportation due to President Trump's executive order.

"I believe in this young man, and I believe in people like him, who are working hard to try and create a great American story," Suozzi said at a press conference held in front of a convenience store Melgar worked at to help pay for college.

“Nelson was raised in Honduras in extreme poverty," Suozzi said. "He worked long hours on coffee farms from when he was a little boy, which caused him to sleep while he was in school."

One in Glen Cove, he attended grade school and graduated with honors from Glen Cove High School.

Melgar worked the night shift at Hardy Quick Mart, located at 244 Glen Cove Ave., and clocked nearly 18 hours or work per day, six days a week to put himself through college.

He graduated from Nassau Community College in four years with a 3.6 GPA, and went on to graduate from Hunter College with a 3.6 GPA.

"I am an American, though I may not be a U.S. citizen," Melgar said. "I may not have a birth certificate from the U.S. But I am as American as anybody else, because I love this country, and I would love nothing more than to be successful here and contribute back to our society."

Image via Office of Tom Suozzi