Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Santa Clarita Ca
    Posts
    9,714

    {sob} Student may still face being deported

    Student may still face being deported
    Dianna M. Náñez
    The Arizona Republic
    Aug. 12, 2007 12:00 AM

    Five months after Gilbert police referred Gilbert resident Manuel Espinoza-Vasquez to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the 20-year-old Arizona State University justice and economics student is dealing with life knowing he faces potential deportation.

    Before police stopped Espinoza-Vasquez for an improper right turn in March, most people knew him as an excelling college kid who loved school so much he never missed a day from kindergarten through high school.

    But Espinoza-Vasquez's traffic stop led to questions that revealed he was living with a secret. advertisement




    After police determined the ASU student had a blood-alcohol content of 0.02 percent, below the 0.08 percent legal limit for drunken driving, they asked him for identification. He said that when police refused his student and other ID cards, and threatened to arrest him if he did not present a legal form of identification, he gave police a Mexican ID.

    An officer, he said, took the ID and phoned ICE.

    "They (ICE) asked if I was in the country legally," he said. "I said, 'No.' "

    Police transferred Espinoza-Vasquez to ICE officials in Phoenix, where he refused to sign a voluntary deportation order. He spent 10 days at the Eloy Detention Center and was released on bond.

    Last month, Espinoza-Vasquez said he went to court for his traffic tickets and was cited for possession of alcohol and referred to alcohol-education courses.

    Phoenix Attorney Judy Flanagan has agreed to represent him at a September deportation hearing.

    In the meantime, Espinoza-Vasquez said he is focused on fulfilling his dream of a college degree.

    He has increased his course load and takes a five-hour round-trip bus ride from Gilbert to ASU five days a week.

    Espinoza-Vasquez's story has touched people on both sides of the immigration debate.

    Eric Checketts, a University of Arizona student from Mesa, said he has met undocumented-immigrant students with stories similar to Espinoza-Vasquez's.

    "It's such a tough issue. I don't believe there's any sort of policy or legislation that's going to solve every problem for every person.

    The fact is there are good people here illegally," he said. "I've had classes with those people. But I do believe we have to draw the line somewhere."

    Checketts said he does not see immigration as a racial issue and gets frustrated by people who would accuse him of being prejudiced because he prefers deportation rather than legalization for most undocumented immigrants.

    "I understand why they come here. I mean, from what I know, things in Mexico are literally hell," he said.

    "But we are a society of laws."

    Checketts said he does not want to see the quality of life for Americans deteriorate because of illegal immigration.

    "Look, we have a substantial number of people here (illegally). They have a certain drain on our society ... effects on health care and economics."

    Espinoza-Vasquez, who came to the United States when he was 3, said he is not surprised when he hears people say undocumented immigrants hurt America.

    "I'm used to it," he said. "I had friends in Gilbert who would talk bad about illegal immigrants in front of me."

    He said the revelation of his residency status has caught people off guard.

    "People at school and my friends were surprised," he said. "I guess they had a stereotype of what an undocumented person is supposed to be like."

    Espinoza-Vasquez said he now sees friends' discovery that he is an undocumented immigrant as a positive outcome of his immigration woes.

    "Some told me, 'We didn't realize it was people like you, Manuel,' " he said. "I joked, 'Yeah, I'm one of those people stealing your health care.' "

    He said he understands the fear of telling people you are an undocumented immigrant, but he wishes more students who came to America as children would come forward.

    "It opens up a dialogue," he said. "It's hard to persecute people who are your friends and neighbors. People realize you're an American, too."

    Espinoza-Vasquez said that regardless of his legal worries, he is not giving up on becoming a lawyer.

    He was encouraged, he said, to see a group of ASU students go on a hunger strike last week to bring attention to the DREAM Act, proposed federal legislation that would help put undocumented immigrants brought to America as children on a path to citizenship.

    Espinoza-Vasquez said he supports the students' efforts and feels a kinship with them.

    "We want to go to school so we can give back to our community," he said. "I want to help people less fortunate than me. I realize knowledge is power ... that they can take away your freedom but they can't take away your knowledge.

    "These are the principles our country was founded on. What's more American than that?"


    http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... 0812.html#
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  2. #2
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South West Florida (Behind friendly lines but still in Occupied Territory)
    Posts
    117,696

    I say ...

    I say and will continue to say Aust La Bye - Bye ... the same thing will be said to Sen Mel Martinez of Florida in the next election and the croud roars for his deportation as well
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  3. #3
    Senior Member americangirl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    2,478
    I'm not at all moved by this story. In fact, I'm ticked off that American taxpayers have been paying for this freeloader from kindergarten through college.

    Deport him now.
    Calderon was absolutely right when he said...."Where there is a Mexican, there is Mexico".

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Posts
    722
    "It opens up a dialogue," he said. "It's hard to persecute people who are your friends and neighbors. People realize you're an American, too."
    Ummm dude, You're NOT an American. That's the whole problem. The only dialogue I am interested in opening up is how fast we can deport your sorry *** back to Mexico.

  5. #5
    Senior Member USPatriot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    SW Florida
    Posts
    3,827
    You notice he wants to be an attorney.Another attorney who will sue US citizens I suppose or run for office so he can help make the southwest part of Mexico.

    I no longer trust these people to assimulate and be a part of our culture.

    Martinez is a good example of misplaced loyalties after our country took his family in,gave him an education,allowed him to go to college & trusted him enough to make him a Senator then he bites the hand that fed him...............
    "A Government big enough to give you everything you want,is strong enough to take everything you have"* Thomas Jefferson

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    7,377
    Someone from Phoenix can tell us - but I don't think it takes 5 hours to get from Gilbert to ASU. I thought it was in Tempe, not far and I know they have campuses in Phoenix and Mesa, not 5 hours.

    Still don't see how hit is a 5 hours trip.

    Anyone from the area?????
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  7. #7
    FormerlyGarcia's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Posts
    45

    I live in Phoenix and...

    I work for the Arizona Republic newspaper. I read this story and I think he should be deported instead of being legalized.

    I used to work for The Grand Rapids Press in Grand Rapids, Michigan until I quit in March this year to move back to Phoenix, Arizona and went to work for the Arizona Republic newspaper.

    There are so many illegal alien freeloaders who are blood-sucking leeches and they all need to be deported and permanently barred from this country for the rest of their lives.

    I recently talked to a guatemalan illegal who brought his brother here illegally 6 years ago and they have 2 sisters here with their anchor babies and this guatemalan illegal and his live-in girlfriend have 2 anchor babies of their own.

    I told him that I could understand WHY people wanted to come here to the U.S.

    He said in spanish "Yes, for the MONEY!!!"

    He did NOT come here from Guatemala because he was supposedly starving and there was supposedly NO work there.

    There IS work in Guatemala and the people are NOT starving there.

    However, they come here out of PURE GREED and PURE SELFISHNESS because they want to freeload off our welfare and food stamps by having anchor babies and to steal our good-paying jobs.

    I rest my case.

    PS: It does NOT take 5 hours to ride the bus. I ride the bus to and from work and it takes me about 1 1/2 to 2 hours one-way to work and the same amount of time to get back home.

    Maybe 2 1/2 hours or less to the university one-way and 5 hours or less round-trip. But NOT 5 hours one-way!

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Santa Clarita Ca
    Posts
    9,714
    FormerlyGarcia

    Thanks for the imput
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    7,377
    I can't see that it would take 2 1/2 hours from Gilbert to either the Tempe or Mesa campus. I don't know where the Phoenix campus is located. But these cities are right next to each other.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  10. #10
    Senior Member Cliffdid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    N.J.
    Posts
    1,094
    Some told me, 'We didn't realize it was people like you, Manuel,' " he said. "I joked, 'Yeah, I'm one of those people stealing your health care.' "
    And don't forget stealing my tax dollars to put you through 12 years of schooling. YES ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE AMERICA AND THEN THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOU!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •