Thread: Sen. Boxer Urged to Support Student Facing Deportation

Sen. Boxer Urged to Support Student Facing Deportation

Published November 13, 2010

Sen. Barbara Boxer was urged by protesters to speak out on behalf of Peruvian student facing deportation.

Sen. Barbara Boxer was urged by protesters to speak out on behalf of Peruvian student facing deportation.

Supporters of a Peruvian college student facing deportation rallied in front Sen. Barbara Boxer's office, urging her to intervene.

Friends of colleagues of Steve Li, a student at City College of San Francisco, staged a protest in front of the senator's office Friday. Carrying banners that read "Education, not Deportation" and "Bring Steve Home," supporters of Li delivered letters to Boxer that praised the 20-year-old and called for his release from a detention facility in Arizona.

"I think it's really upsetting that someone who is goal-oriented and an asset to the community is going to be taken from his family and flown to Peru," said Talia Coney, 23, a student at San Francisco State University and friend of Li's. "He grew up here. He is as American as I am."

Li, who along with his parents was taken into custody in September, is scheduled to be deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Monday, said his lawyer, Sin Yen Ling of the Asian Law Caucus. An ICE spokeswoman could not confirm that claim.

He remains in custody as the agency seeks to make arrangements for his removal.

Boxer spokesman Zachary Coile said staff members met with Li's mother, attorney and others at the senator's San Francisco office Friday afternoon.

"We reiterated Senator Boxer's strong support for the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for tens of thousands of undocumented students who go to college or serve in the military," Coile said in an e-mailed statement to The Associated Press. "Senator Boxer will keep working in the Senate until it becomes law."

Li and his parents came to the United States on tourist visas in 2002 from Peru. Trying to avoid persecution, Li's parents fled to the South American nation from China in the 1980s, said Lisa Chen, a spokeswoman for the Asian Law Caucus.

They applied for political asylum from China, but their application was denied several years ago.

Li was born in Peru and then came to the U.S. when he was 12, too young to understand the legal problems his family could face, Chen said. Li's parents, who are Chinese nationals, are being monitored by ICE although they do not face immediate deportation

"Unfortunately this does happen very often," Chen said. "Undocumented students get caught up in deportation hearings."

But some do receive one-year deferments that allow them to leave the detention center and fight their cases, Chen added.

Supporters of Li want Boxer to contact immigration officials on Li's behalf to at least delay any possible deportation plans. Chen said she could also introduce legislation to help his case.

Legislation pending in Congress, known as the DREAM Act, would give high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as children a path to legal residency. They would just have to spend two years in college or the military.

The Asian Law Caucus supports its passage. The group has also reached out to Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Li's behalf.

Gil Duran, communications director for Sen. Feinstein, said her office was in contact with ICE and was "exploring all possible options."

While a statement from Drew Hammill, press secretary to Pelosi, said "Speaker Pelosi believes that Steve Li's case is a textbook example of the pressing need for comprehensive immigration reform and the passage of the DREAM Act."

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politi ... portation/

As hard as it is to say "GOOD-BYE, STEVE!"

The argument went from Save Steve to Dream Act for all illegal students. No and no. It probably would have helped Steve if he were Mexican.

I say no support

"Sorry, Steve they're just not feelin' ya!"

Legislation pending in Congress, known as the DREAM Act, would give high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as children a path to legal residency. They would just have to spend two years in college or the military.

Just a thought, but let's say this becomes reality, what type of oversight is there going to be? Lots of college students attend less than even part-time, you can take one class a week and state you are a college student. Can you imagine the new departments required and the additional budget needed for this program?

If it is a choice between going to the Middle East or college what do you think the majority will choose?

This witch makes me sick to my stomach, compounded by the fact she could have been voted out of office only recently.

This is the kind of crap this traitor supports. And BTW...he doesn't have a chance in hell of staying since he's not mexican!

Li was born in Peru and then came to the U.S. when he was 12, too young to understand the legal problems his family could face, Chen said. Li's parents, who are Chinese nationals, are being monitored by ICE although they do not face immediate deportation

Well the illegal invading parents were not too young to understand the fact they were breaking the law! Why are they only being monitored by ICE and not deported ASAP!