A video showing a heartwarming moment between a father and daughter at the Texas-Mexico border after the daughter’s high school graduation ceremony has gone viral.
Sarai Ruiz graduated May 24 from Early College High School in Laredo. Her father, Esteban Ruiz, was unable to attend her graduation ceremony because he could not cross into the U.S. The two met at the Laredo International Bridge, which connects Mexico and the U.S., that evening.
"I knew my father would never see me walk to get my diploma, but today I'd thought I'd surprise him by crossing the bridge so he could see me with my cap and gown," Sarai Ruiz wrote in a Facebook post accompanying a video of the encounter.
In the video, Sarai Ruiz approaches her father dressed in full graduation regalia. The two hug, and Sarai Ruiz wipes away tears.
As of Friday afternoon, the video had more than 3 million views.
Sarai Ruiz was born in Wisconsin. However, she and her mother moved to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, after her father was deported a decade ago, WLS-TV reported. Sarai Ruiz attended high school in Laredo, crossing the border every day.
She is the first in her family to graduate from high school. She will attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study psychology and government.
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