Miami, June 21.- An undocumented student at Harvard University will not be deported to his native country after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) said that it will not pursue the deportation for the undergraduate.

"ICE uses its discretion on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate, and has the authority to grant a deferral of a removal action based upon the merits of an individual's case and a review of specific facts”, said ICE spokeswoman Cori Bassett

The case of the 19 year old Mexican, Eric Balderas was brought to public light by several Hispanic media, which caught the attention of the U.S. population.

“I feel very relieved that I will have the opportunity to continue my studies at Harvard; pure and simple, I am rejoicing in my heart!” wrote the student after the announcement in a Facebook page that was created to support his cause.

The arrest and possible deportation of the Mexican brought a support message from the prestigious university: Students like Balderas are "vital" for the future of America, said Christine Heenan, vice president of communications for Harvard.

The student was detained about two weeks ago by immigration agents when trying to return to the school in Boston, after visiting his mother in San Antonio.

Balderas was arrested trying to board a plane from the San Antonio International Airport, he had been living in that city where he lived since the age of 4, showing only a university ID, which caught the attention of immigration officials when they found out he had no other documents.

The Mexican completed his freshman year in molecular biology at the prestigious university.

The arrest caused for supporters of the Dream Act, to use Balderas as the main image to push the initiative, which has been dormant in congress since 2001.

The legislation would grant temporary resident status to undocumented students, provided after completing college or serving at least two years in the military.

ICE stated that “these cases illustrate the need for comprehensive immigration reform. ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that focuses first on criminal aliens who pose a threat to our communities while we continue to work with Congress to enact reform "said Bassett.

According to Walter Brown, a mathematics professor at a San Antonio high school that helped Balderas with his college applications said that “there are 65,000 kids a year graduating from high school in Eric's situation."

"Not all of them, of course, are future Nobel Prize winners. That's a lot of potential talent to be wasting by just putting these students, or continuing them, in an untenable situation that they didn't choose." added the teacher who motivated Balderas to "dream big." The young Mexican secured his admission to Harvard and Middlebury College.

Balderas graduated with honors from the Highland High School in San Antonio, Texas and said that his dream is to find the cure for cancer.