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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Young DREAM Act Supporters Stage Fake Graduation

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 11:59 AM

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Last night just after sunset, 100 or so people, many of them decked out in graduation robes and mortar boards, gathered in the one corner of Pioneer Square not overtaken with Christmas decorations. The group was giddy and mostly very young, 20-year-olds and recent high school graduates who came to Pioneer Square to stage a fake graduation to raise awareness about the DREAM Act, a national bill which would provide a path to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants who graduate from American high schools.

For some in the crowd, appearing at a public protest meant putting their lives on the line: They're children of illegal immigrants, trying to attend college and live in the United States without papers. If they're arrested for any crime—like say the protest got too rowdy and cops got involved—they could swiftly be deported.

Elisa was wearing her blue graduation robe, her neck draped with several colorful cords she wore at her graduation from an East Portland high school last spring. "This one was for Honor Society, this one was for French honor society," explained Elisa, whose parents brought her to Portland from Mexico when she was four (Elisa, by the way, is not her real name). This protest, organized by student group Oregon DREAMers, marked the first time she'd publicly discussed her immigration status. "In high school, it was very taboo. We get information from each other, how to keep studying how to get by," says Elisa. "Something needs to change. Obviously the DREAM Act isn't going to fix our immigration system, but it's a very good step."

Part of the motivation for the protest is the case of Hector Lopez, an illegal resident who grew up in Portland, was student body president of Rex Putnam High School, and was attending Clackamas Community College when immigration authorities tracked him down and deported him to Mexico. Though he remains in Mexico, friends and his local family are fighting to bring him back.

As protest organizer Erika Molina tried to rally the crowd with a bullhorn, Clark College students and illegal residents Gabriella and Liliana laughed with each other to the side of the group. Liliana, wearing a royal purple robe and hat, said she wasn't nervous to come out the protest, just excited. "We'll be directly affected by the DREAM Act, we feel it's up to us to make it happen," she said. Without legal papers, she and Gabriella can't get federal financial aid for school. Liliana explained that she's attending Clark College because her fourth grade teacher offered to cover the cost. "He believed in me," she said, as the protest formed two lines and marched around Pioneer Square with shouts and woops of support for the DREAM Act.

Just as the protest wrapped up, the students received some good news: The DREAM Act had passed the House. Now Elisa, Liliana, Gabriella and thousands of other students are waiting for the Senate to decide their future.

 

Comments (16) RSS

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1
Hector Lopez is not in Mexico, he is in ICE detention in Arizona.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/08imm…

Posted by Joneser on December 9, 2010 at 12:16 PM · Report
2
I'd be for letting the kids stay if we were to put the parents in prison for a couple years. I don't want to hurt the kids for the parents' transgression. Countries need borders and there needs to be some common sense as to who gets to be a citizen. It does grate that a freelancer like me hasn't access to reasonably priced healthcare while someone sneaking into the country under cover of darkness might qualify for assistance paid for in part by MY tax dollars. And here's some advice to those who want to make it easier for illegals to become citizens and enjoy the benefits of citizenship: STOP ACTING LIKE WE OWE IT TO YOU!!!
Posted by Amanda Bandana on December 9, 2010 at 12:28 PM · Report
3
@amanda bandana That is the most ignorant thing I have ever seen anyone type...and I read the internet A LOT.
Posted by kiala on December 9, 2010 at 12:54 PM · Report
4
Doesn't it defeat the purpose of "Elisa" concealing her identity, if you mention that it isn't her real name?
Posted by Sūṕër Ḉḩüñdŷ on December 9, 2010 at 12:54 PM · Report
5
"I don't want to hurt the kids for the parents' transgression."

Hi Amanda,
Just so you know, putting parents in jail WILL hurt the kids. The logic might seem complicated, so let's just say it has something to do with how parents can't be good parents when they're in jail, and the kids will likely have to go into foster care.
Posted by ROM on December 9, 2010 at 12:55 PM · Report
6
@Amanda Your taxes also pay for an extravagantly expensive and overcrowded prison system, which I assure you is doing more to drain the national coffers than the dude who prunes your trees is going to.
Posted by atomic on December 9, 2010 at 1:06 PM · Report
7
What Kiala and ROM said.

And NOT what chundy said! What, do you think ICE is gonna be all "Okay team, word is that there is a young woman in Portland who is undocumented who is NOT named Elisa! Cast your nets, boys, for any young woman not named Elisa!This will be an easy search!"
Posted by Joneser on December 9, 2010 at 1:06 PM · Report
8
Amanda is a freelancer for the Dum Dum Times-Picayune, Wrong Street Journal, and Shit The Internet Says.
Posted by Commenty Colin on December 9, 2010 at 1:09 PM · Report
9
@amanda: Troll 2/10. Too obvious.

@Joneser: Lopez is in ICE detention voluntarily while awaiting either the DREAM Act or asylum status.
Posted by Graham on December 9, 2010 at 1:11 PM · Report
10
Amanda,

If you don't feel that you owe your support to solutions like the DREAM Act, that's okay. In fact, you have a group made up of about 25% of the U.S.

If anything, you owe yourself a moment of reflection on what your beliefs are around what constitutes social justice.

If after that you still feel that these young people should come to you with more deference for you and your hand of justice as you sit back and scold them for being active members of society (instead of just complaining about the obstacles that stand in the way of realizing their dreams of attaining higher education or serving their country), then I encourage you to take a cue from them and become active in your beliefs around the issue. I hear the minuteman group is less active lately, but there are others that you could start yourself to make your voice heard more explicitly and loudly.

Your message smacks of paternalistic bullshit masked as soft-boiled support. It stinks.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Oregon DREAMers, your proactive stance is an inspiration to all of us, perhaps even to Amanda Bandana.
Posted by Héctor M. Miramontes on December 9, 2010 at 1:17 PM · Report
11
@ Graham: But not in Mexico, like Sarah wrote!
Posted by Joneser on December 9, 2010 at 1:20 PM · Report
12
Hey Amanda, you can access the same medical care as undocumented immigrants: the emergency room. Yes, it's an incredibly expensive burden on taxpayers, but that's not an immigration issue; it's a health care delivery issue.

And I'm sure Amanda has spent the last several years writing her congresspeople to modernize our defense budget, stop spending billions on maintaining a never-to-be-used nuclear arsenal and running two wars off-budget. I'm just CERTAIN she has been doing so.
Posted by ($8239f8h248cerfehjf23@&*@ebdjhb23f237OCDBO#BD*(# on December 9, 2010 at 2:25 PM · Report
13
Guys, stop feeding the troll.
Posted by Wubbles on December 9, 2010 at 3:25 PM · Report
14
The major problem that once immigrants--either legal or of illegal status over how many years, they could bring in a whole spectrum of family. Chain migration has silently snowballed from the 1986 Immigration bill. Since that law was passed the Congress has quietly passed six amnesties, without any explanation, while at the same time admitting over a million new legal immigrants a year through a lottery of specific working visas. The Dream Act if passed is just another stealth type back door amnesty. Hopefully in our future—the TEA PARTY—will put an end to this serious pretense of each administration supposedly working for the populace. Don't give any Senator or Representative breathing room, and should get a cordial call the Washington Switchboard 202-224-3121 Until the Dream Act is amended--it must not be voted on--as is. Any Student--come to that any illegal alien can join the military in time of conflict. One does not need the Dream Act to be recruited into the armed forces, using 8 USC § 1440, these illegal aliens can become naturalized citizens through expedited processing, often obtaining U.S. citizenship in six months?

It should be remembered for every legal or illegal immigrant who settles here, brings many more immediate family groups. Every year millions come to America who already has a legal or illegal family component, who offers either a safe haven or an affidavit of support; who they sponsor. When an illegal alien is caught along the border, the US agents ask that individual where are they are going. The majority answer I have a brother, or uncle in Denver, Salt Lake City or other major hub, who has a job for me. This is almost a perpetual loop of the same story over and over again. Alas, there is not enough room to explain what is happening around America in regards to this issue. It has become paramount quandary in so many ways and is just as urgent as the Start treaty, the tax conundrum, "Don't ask, Don't tell" and other issues. In fact the illegal immigration problem has got so out of hand; because of astronomical costs it’s threatening the livelihood of every American. IT’S A FINANCIAL catastrophe, which has grown out of control. The illegal immigration problem has been caused by years of neglect and now the only way the federal authorities can tamper down the burning fuse, is some kind of mass amnesty. Why should US citizens have to compete with foreign nationals? Why should legal construction workers or a laborer in any other job, have to compete with Contractors who hire foreign workers? When is this injustice to the American population going to end?

Remember that--CHAIN MIGRATION--puts the United States in serious peril, even more so than the original sponsors. Learn much more about the OVERPOPULATION and its risks to the environment, infrastructure and quality of life at NumbersUSA The Dream Act in itself not a menace, although at least a 800.000 students would be eligible if they abide by the law? The only immigration law that should be demanded is to make illegal entrance into the United States a felony, with no excuses and no exceptions. This includes businesses that are twice caught hiring illegal workers, should be subject to a harsh fine, confiscation of business assets and after the second conviction—prison! It's blatantly obvious to me, that for years Washington has deceived the American people of both political parties. There has been no intention of enforcing immigration laws and this is proven without doubt. If illegal immigration had severe consequences, such as the above penalties the only enforcement program needed would be E-Verify mandated for every business owner. The majority of other restriction tools needed to halt the free flow of desperate, destitute people would radically decline; knowing that you would be convicted of a class “A” felony would collapse the ongoing flow.

This would be huge disincentive to economic foreign nationals crossing our borders, or using the excuse of being a tourist, fully aware they are not leaving once their visa runs out. No! There has been no true intention of halting illegal aliens coming here for work, or to commit crimes. Both Democrats and Republicans have remained impassive to the invasion, whether its 13 million or 20 million foreigners who have skirted our laws; of course that's according which side of the Washington pecking order you are inclined to believe? Over thirty years of government neglect has brought this nightmare upon us, of incessant crimes against lawful citizens and permanent residents. Americans land owners living in constant fear along the 2000 miles of mostly unprotected border. Both political parties irrationally forget who pays their salaries and pensions while American find their wages sinking and the majority of Social programs of having to share these entitlements with illegal labor and their families.

Around the country, we have activist judges who ignore the US constitution and instead construe the law according to personal political orientation. Even now Arizona is under bombardment from open border radicals, or pro business entities, who do not want this Border States policing laws to be upheld. Then again the IRS is complicit in allowing illegal aliens to squat here, by issuing ITIN numbers, as foreigners cannot possess a real Social Security card. Over the last ten years we have seen an escalation in ID theft, with the courts saying this is not classed as a felony. Another concealed point is that illegal alien workers are collecting billions of dollars in income tax refunds, for children who don't exist or filing for the same child twice by each parent. For those people who believe that this is an embellishment, one only has to Google key words--illegal alien costs; illegal alien income tax refunds.

There are highly regarded reports on the expenditures of federal, state and county support of foreign nationals that you as the taxpayer is erroneously paying. Sanctuary States like California under Liberal progressive control in Sacramento is depleting the state of billions of dollars, as they subsidize the millions in just Los Angeles County alone? The schools are in turmoil from overcrowding of children of illegal families, who by mandated law must be educated. In understaffed county hospitals have become places of last resort, for the multitudes of foreign nationals who live below the poverty line, so they are dependent on taxpayers. California has become an incubator for hundreds of thousands of illegal pregnant females, who collect under their new citizens-babies, namely billions of more dollars soaked from you and me.

Their children are a valuable commodity, because our 14th amendment law has been with intent compromised, so that children of illegal aliens are issued food stamps, low income housing and a large profusion of cash payment and other freebies. All these entitlements should not be going to people who should not be here? These illegal women are already aware that once the stand on our soil, that the US taxpayer will support them and all their children. Until we halt the illegal immigration occupation of this country, we a steadily heading for a irrevocable overpopulation. The only way anything will ever get accomplished is by Americans pressing incessantly their Senator or Congressman. As the Tea Party grows this organization has a commitment to the people—because they are THE PEOPLE. They owe no favors to left wing Unions, big corporations or the open border zealots. They are the TEA PARTY. They are AMERICA.
More...
Posted by Brittanicus on December 10, 2010 at 11:50 AM · Report
15
I DEMAND A "MUCH, MUCH LESS" BUTTON.
Posted by Commenty Colin on December 10, 2010 at 12:58 PM · Report
16
Cold copy pasta is boring.

TL;DR: HUR DURR, I HATE BROWN PEOPLE.
Posted by Graham on December 10, 2010 at 1:06 PM · Report

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