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| Illegal immigrant Sergio Garcia gets California law licence | Illegal immigrant Sergio Garcia gets California law licence |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The supreme court of California has granted a law licence to an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who has lived for years in the US. | The supreme court of California has granted a law licence to an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who has lived for years in the US. |
| Sergio Garcia, 36, arrived in the US nearly two decades ago without papers. | Sergio Garcia, 36, arrived in the US nearly two decades ago without papers. |
| He attended law school and passed the California bar exam, but has not yet been granted a visa. | He attended law school and passed the California bar exam, but has not yet been granted a visa. |
| Mr Garcia challenged a 1996 law barring illegal immigrants from receiving professional licences, a rule later changed by Governor Jerry Brown. | Mr Garcia challenged a 1996 law barring illegal immigrants from receiving professional licences, a rule later changed by Governor Jerry Brown. |
| The new lawyer was born in Mexico in 1977 and brought to California less than two years later, according to a statement from the California supreme court. | The new lawyer was born in Mexico in 1977 and brought to California less than two years later, according to a statement from the California supreme court. |
| He returned to Mexico with his family at age nine, but illegally re-entered the US when he was 17. | He returned to Mexico with his family at age nine, but illegally re-entered the US when he was 17. |
| 'Good moral character' | 'Good moral character' |
| Mr Garcia's father, who had legally obtained resident status, filed for a visa on his son's behalf soon after. | Mr Garcia's father, who had legally obtained resident status, filed for a visa on his son's behalf soon after. |
| But because of a long backlog of applicants, Mr Garcia has not yet been granted a visa. | But because of a long backlog of applicants, Mr Garcia has not yet been granted a visa. |
| He picked almonds and worked in a grocery store to pay his way through university and Cal Northern School of Law, later passing the California bar examination on his first attempt. | He picked almonds and worked in a grocery store to pay his way through university and Cal Northern School of Law, later passing the California bar examination on his first attempt. |
| Mr Garcia subsequently challenged a 1996 federal law barring people living in the US illegally from receiving professional licences from government agencies or with the use of public funds. | Mr Garcia subsequently challenged a 1996 federal law barring people living in the US illegally from receiving professional licences from government agencies or with the use of public funds. |
| The federal government argued the California courts were funded by public money, thus precluding him from being granted a licence. | The federal government argued the California courts were funded by public money, thus precluding him from being granted a licence. |
| Meanwhile, Mr Brown signed a series of immigrant rights bills in October, including one allowing undocumented people to obtain law licences. That law took effect on 1 January. | Meanwhile, Mr Brown signed a series of immigrant rights bills in October, including one allowing undocumented people to obtain law licences. That law took effect on 1 January. |
| On Thursday, the state's supreme court unanimously ruled in favour of Mr Garcia, determining he "possesses the requisite good moral character to qualify for a law licence". | |
| Speaking to the BBC's Newsday programme, Mr Garcia called the ruling a "landmark historic decision". | |
| "I feel incredible, this is the best gift 2014 could bring for me," he said. |