Thread: {Sob}What Will Become of Postville's Undocumented Students?

What Will Become of Postville's Undocumented Students?
Posted on: Thursday, 22 May 2008, 21:00 CDT

By Adam Belz, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

May 22--POSTVILLE -- They came here with their parents at the ages of 8, 10 or 12, and have settled into life as students in an American school.

They take their backpacks to their lockers at the end of the day and joke in the hallways. They play sports, sing in choirs and dream about going to college.

But the undocumented children who attend school in Postville, some of whom grew up there from a young age, know that the college and career they hope for are far from likely.

Nine undocumented students at Postville High School spoke with The Gazette on Wednesday. Out of concern that they could be arrested and deported, they asked that their names not be printed.

Four were from Guatemala and five were from Mexico. All were children when their parents decided to immigrate illegally and settle in northeast Iowa.

Six of the nine said one or more of their family members was detained in the May 12 raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. meatpacking plant. All said their family has either discussed leaving Postville or made the final decision.

"We're going to move back to Guatemala because we're scared about the situation," said a 15-year-old girl whose favorite classes are chorus and ninth grade English. "We're just waiting for information about my brother, because he's been detained."

She came here three years ago with her brother, sister and mother. Her mother worked at Agriprocessors but was not at work when immigration authorities raided the plant.

Even if the raid had never happened, she and other such Latino students faced little prospect for the future, Superintendent Dave Strudthoff said. They can't get into most colleges, even though they may be very good students, and they must go underground or return to their native country, which is no longer their home.

One 16-year-old boy who was born in Mexico said he wants to study mechanical engineering in college.

"It's not so very easy for me to have a career, but I'm going to try to have one," he said. "I'm going to follow my dreams and never give up."

He's a sophomore who wrestles, plays soccer and plays football. He says he has American, Israeli and Ukrainian friends.

One of his three sisters was detained in the raid, and she appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. His family will likely leave Postville once they know what's going to happen to her.

Strudthoff has in the past 10 days become a vocal advocate for finding a way to help students like this boy, as hundreds of Latinos consider leaving Postville and the uncertainty of the children's lives is highlighted.

"I think it's going to be a continual problem," said the superintendent.

At least one member of the graduating class, one of the school's top students, is undocumented, Strudthoff said. That student was not available for an interview.

A 16-year-old girl from Mexico said she wants to study pre-medicine in college in Mexico City where she spent her childhood. She came to the U.S. when she was 12.

"I think it's better here than in Mexico," she said.

But it is too expensive to go to college here because she can't get scholarships or financial aid. This was true before the raid, but now her family is thinking about leaving.

"Everything has changed," she said. "Everything feels different."

Strudthoff said he doesn't know how many Latino students in Postville came to the United States illegally, but three are in the 2008 graduating class. In this year's junior class, there are six.

In seventh and eighth grades, up to 50 percent of the students are Latino, and many of them are probably undocumented, he said.

"There's no way for me to know, and I'm not going to take the time to investigate that," he said.

On Wednesday, the students said they would simply like to be able to get a permit to go to college, since some have grown up here and are as culturally American as they are Mexican or Guatemalan.

Strudthoff has criticized Congress for not coming up with a better solution to problems stemming from illegal immigration.

Specifically, he's blasted lawmakers for failing to pass some variation of the DREAM -- for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors -- Act, which would have given the children of illegal immigrants a chance to earn permanent residency if they kept out of trouble and either went to college or joined the military for two years.

The bill failed in the U.S. Senate in October 2007. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, voted for the bill and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, voted against it. It has never come to a vote in the U.S. House. It was enough for Strudthoff to call both lawmaking bodies "absolute cowards."

Another boy, a 16-year-old 10th grader wearing a red USC sweater, was born in Guatemala. He plays on the soccer team and says he feels comfortable now in Postville, has friends there. But again, his family may leave town.

"I don't want to move," he said. "I want to study here and graduate from here."

-----

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Source: The Gazette - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Thanks, jimpasz, for this. It is music to my ears! They're all going home. Hallelujah!

THANK YOU, ICE!!

Everything has changed," she said. "Everything feels different."



Of course it feels different and changed. Everything changes once the truth comes out. Having the whole world know that you are criminals makes things feel different.

The blame lies with the parents of these kids. No one else. The parents came here as illegals. They brought their children making them illegals as well.

Games over, you've taken enough from this country and now you've been caught. Time to go home now.

These bright young Mexican citizens should be a valuable asset their native country. Perhaps they could teach English as a second language classes.

"I want to study here and graduate from here."

That's what all kids want. The problem is that American taxpayers have been burdened with supporting the millions of illegal aliens in this country, that they have no hope of paying for their own kids college educations. Enough! Go home, make your country a better place for all.

I don't recall any law preventing these kids from going to college. Sure, they won't be entitled to financial programs reserved for LEGAL CITIZENS, but they can still attend (for full price).

What exactly did they expect? When they came here illegally, what did their parents expect would happen when their kids graduated high school (for the 50% that do)? The laws regarding financial aid haven't changed.

Here's the point, every illegal immigrant has been taught to think if they get here, they'll eventually get amnesty. Why else would they feel so entitled to something they haven't earned within a culture they openly besmirch?

Now, years later, they haven't received an amnesty and their kids are being punished for THEIR poor foresight. American law was quite clear when they arrived and has remained so throughout their stay here.

If these kids are truly gifted and have something valuable to offer, certainly they could attend college in Mexico, couldn't they? Aren't those the types of young people Mexico claims to want?

Kids, the free ride is over! Your parents are criminals.

Go back to Mexico or Guadamala and help your own country now.

Breaking the law every day is not a good example that your parents have set for you.

Try to get processed and be Americans. We will welcome you then, after you take and oath to our country and FLAG. You need to speak English and learn our history. Part of which is, YOU DO NOT STILL OWN THE South West! Your country also lies to you. Learn the truth.

You don't want to grow up to be what you parents are .... illegal immigrants who suck American benefits from our taxpayer money and demand to stay here when they entered the country to be a criminal.

Good Luck.

"There's no way for me to know, and I'm not going to take the time to investigate that," he said. (Superintendent Dave Strudthoff)

Along with workplace enforcement, (and maybe more important), this should be the law!
For every one adult that comes here illegally, there's probably an
average of 3-4 kids. If propper legal status had to be required in our schools, this would stop before these kids gained so-called "roots" in our school system and the illegal parents would be apprehended immediately!

If these kids are so intelligent and "good," then how come I have never heard ONE OF THEM say, "Yeah, my parents broke the law, so now we have to go home. I appreciate the education I have been given free by America, and ICE is only doing their job. Thank you, America."

Propoganda for the Dream Act under the guise of news reporting.

Agriprocessors employed minors--one detained and released by ICE was 13.

All the interviewed students state they want to go to college but ironically have siblings who are detained by ICE from the Agriprocessors' raid.