Lauren Gray will get to stay in her adopted homeland after all, thanks to her newfound friends in high places.

Gray, of Trenton, Mo., was planning to leave Wednesday for England, where she lived until she was 4, after a bureaucratic quirk left her legal status in doubt. She came to the U.S. 17 years ago with her parents, who had a work visa that covered her until her 21st birthday, which came on Wednesday. Remaining here afterward would be illegal, and jeopardize her chance at a green card.

But widespread publicity about her plight spurred Sen. Claire McCaskill into action, and early Wednesday, the Democratic lawmaker gave Gray a welcome birthday present.

[pullquote]

"I made a personal call to [Department of Homeland Security Secretary] Janet Napolitano and brought Lauren's situation to her attention and she agreed that it is young women like Lauren we want in the United States of America," McCaskill said, adding that Gray will now be allowed to stay in the U.S.