Thread: 107 arrested in immigration sweep in California

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... L29O41.DTL

SANTA CRUZ, SAN BENITO COUNTIES
107 arrested in immigration sweep
- Vanessa Hua
Saturday, September 9, 2006


U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 107 people for immigration violations Thursday and Friday in Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Hollister, officials said.

The majority of the violators arrested in Operation Return to Sender were from Mexico, but officers also arrested people from India, El Salvador and Guatemala, said spokeswoman Lori Haley.

Forty-four violators have already been deported, and one was turned over to local authorities because of an outside arrest warrant for driving without a license and possession of a controlled substance. The rest remain in custody, Haley said.

The rapid deportation troubles local immigration attorneys because it deprives violators of their access to counsel and courts, said Stacy Tolchin, a San Francisco immigration attorney who is representing 20-year-old and 13-year-old U.S. citizens whose parents were taken away in the sweep.

ICE does occasionally work in Mexifornia then???? Excellent!

The illegals supporters must be up in arms!!

This is great!

Keep the sweeps coming!!

As far as the children, unite them with their parents in Mexico! Blame the partents. They new this day would come sooner or later!

Why not reunite the illegals, anchors along with there immigration lawyer on the OTHER side of the border?

September 9, 2006


watsonville
It's never too late: Farmworkers graduate from elementary school
By TOM RAGAN
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER
Slight women wearing black shawls and men who've toiled in the fields for years rubbed shoulders on Friday and received elementary school diplomas through an adult education program designed to teach literacy — in Spanish.

All of the graduates are originally from Mexico but have been living in Watsonville for years. The only problem is they've had families to provide for and jobs to hold and never had the time to go back to finish school — until now.

The classes are offered by La Manzana Community Resources on Main Street and are sponsored by the Mexican Consulate.

"I now know how to read a little bit," said a proud Roberto Chavez Ramirez, who, at 62, decided to give the adult education classes a whirl and now has a diploma to show for it.

"I can write, too," he added, "but I'm still having a hard time learning where to put the capital letters."

The classes have existed since 2002, and are taught by Alicia Zenteno, a family literacy specialist who had nothing but praise for this year's elementary class of 38 students.

"They always came to class wanting to learn," she said. "They're at that age where they know it's important but they never had a chance to complete school in Mexico."

Many of the textbooks, which deal with elementary concepts of Spanish grammar and Spanish composition, were supplied by the Mexican Consulate in San Jose.

Enrique Morales, a consul from the San Jose office, was on hand at Friday's ceremony to offer the graduates some words of wisdom and to show his support for them.

"It's never too late to get an education," he said. "This isn't just for you. This is to show your children and to set an example. You want them to rise above you and become doctors and lawyers and avoid the suffering that you have gone through."

Saul Ramos, assistant director of La Manzana, said it's the philosophy of La Manzana to recognize that before any of the graduates can begin to learn English, they must master their native language.

Some of the students didn't know how to sign their names and simply wrote an "x" where their signatures were needed, according to Albert Maldonado, the program director.

Since the cannery strikes in Watsonville in 1985, La Manzana has been around in one form or another, providing education and translation services for those who do not understand English or who need to navigate through the bureaucracy of the United States.

First it was called "Adelante," but its name changed in 2002, when it became La Manzana, according to Maldonado.

And Maria Elena Sandoval is happy La Manzana was there for her.

"I've finally got my diploma from elementary school," said the 35-year-old woman, clutching the certificate proudly. "I left Mexico at too young an age to ever finish. So this has been quite an experience, and I'm happy about it."

The above article was just posted to another thread. I wonder how many of those being deported now have their elementary school diploma? Perhaps the school is what brought all these illegals to the attention of ICE. Probably just a coincidence, but you never know.

Once again, Mexico aiding and abetting it's nationals on our sovereign soil!!!

Round the up! I'm sure that now that they have a Mexican diploma, they won't have a hard time finding work for the Mexican Government in MEXICO!!!