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Texas valedictorian’s ‘undocumented’ tweet sparks social media uproar

Posted at 12:56 PM, Jun 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-09 14:56:11-04

AUSTIN, Texas – A high school valedictorian and scholarship recipient from Austin, Texas, caused a social media uproar after recently tweeting about her undocumented status.

“Valedictorian, 4.5 GPA, full tuition paid for at UT, 13 cords/medals, nice legs, oh and I’m undocumented,” Mayte Lara Ibarra stated in the tweet, which also included several emojis, including the Mexican flag.

The tweet posted by Ibarra on June 3 quickly received nearly 20,000 likes and more than 9,000 retweets, Buzzfeed News reported.

The tweet sparked a backlash however, which included some threatening to have her deported and others calling the recent high school graduate a criminal, according to Buzzfeed.

One person even tweeted an image of what appeared to be a tip to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Ibarra did receive some positive responses, according to Buzzfeed, but the account was deleted not long after she posted the controversial tweet.

At her high school graduation ceremony on June 3, Ibarra introduced the Pledge of Allegiance and one for the Texas flag.