Harlem High Schooler

The story of an 18-year-old East Harlem student continues to tug at heartstrings across the country.

When Amadou Ly's mother returned to Senegal and left him behind to get a U.S. education, the illegal immigrant had few people he could depend on for help.

But since his success in a robotics championship attracted national attention to his fight against deportation, Ly has received a flood of support. Strangers have sent money and offered assistance, and members of Congress have sent letters to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on the high school senior's behalf.

When Ly's East Harlem Tech robotics team scored an upset victory over the city's elite schools to enter the international FIRST Robotics Championship in Atlanta, the student had to tell his teammates about his immigration problems because he had no valid ID to board a flight to Atlanta.

Instead, Ly took an 18-hour train ride to the competition. His team didn't win, but his story earned him a spot on national TV and in his native Senegal.

"Cameras, newspapers, people that I don't know, people standing up and letting me know that there's help...I feel good about that, and I'm thankful," " the high schooler said.

Ly says he dreams of studying math and computer science at the College of Technology in Brooklyn, where he has been accepted. After hearing about his story, strangers have offered to help pay for his college tuition and legal expenses, and a fund has been established on his behalf. Some even offered to adopt him if that would help him remain in the U.S.