Thread: Texas District Rejects Mexican Students

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posted: 32 MINUTES AGO
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(Oct. -- A border community's school district has become the latest flashpoint in the nation's immigration debate.
The school district in Del Rio, Texas, about three and a half hours west of San Antonio, has cracked down on what officials say are Mexican students attending U.S. public schools there, according to news reports.
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A Controversial Crackdown

Eric Gay, AP
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A school district on the Texas border cracked down on what officials said were students crossing over from Mexico to attend school. Here, two students from Lamar Elementary school in the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District walk home in September. AP said it wasn't clear whether any of these students were those from Mexico.

http://news.aol.com/article/del-rio-texas-school-district-turns-away/709315?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews. aol.com%2Farticle%2Fdel-rio-texas-school-district-turns-away%2F709315

"A Controversial Crackdown "

Why is it controversial??

The entire story is here:
http://news.aol.com/article/del-rio-tex ... icid=main|

The following AOL POLL is included at the link above. Please be sure and VOTE!

What do You Think of the School District's Actions?
Thumbs Up
Thumbs Down

How do You Think the Nation is Dealing with Illegal Immigration?
Too Leniently
Too Harshly
Just Right

Here is the rest of the story.

"We had several van loads (with Mexican license plates) pulling up at the schools and kids getting out. It's like 'C'mon, it's obvious what's going on,'" Kelt Cooper, superintendent of the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District, told The Associated Press.

He directed district officials to stake out a border bridge in early September and warn students they could face expulsion if they don't prove they live in the district — a move that's brought complaints from civil rights groups and support from anti-immigrant proponents.

"We have a law. We have a policy. We follow it," said Cooper, whose spent most of his life near the border and is uncomfortable with attempts to make him a cause celebre for either side of the immigration debate. "I'm just doing my job."

Civil rights organizers don't take issue with the district's policies, but do take issue with way officials choose to enforce them.

"Talk about trying to intimidate people and draw fear in the community," David Hinojosa told Newsweek. Hinojosa is the staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "One might send a letter to the parent asking them to contact the district office, but setting up some checkpoint on the other side of the border is outrageous."

To prove residency, parents must provide documents such as a utility bill in their name or a lease, CNN reported. But one parent told the news station that her husband was deported to Mexico, and she now lives with her sister-in-law. That means all the bills are in the other woman's name, Carla Gomez said.

Of 195 students targeted on the bridge last month, about 150 quickly proved residency, Cooper told the Del Rio News-Herald this week. Several students never showed up to class again. Of the others, he told the local newspaper, the district is still working to confirm residency.

What do you think of the school district's actions?
Thumbs up 79%
Thumbs down 21%
Total Votes: 91,018

How do you think the nation is dealing with illegal immigration?
Too leniently 83%
Too harshly 12%
Just right 5%
Total Votes: 87,127

RELATED

Students warned to prove Texas residence or leave

By MICHELLE ROBERTS, The Associated Press
12:15 p.m. September 21, 2009

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-171805-tex ... nts+mexico
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Some California border school districts did this back in 2007.

School Aims to Catch Students from Mexico

by Associated Press (December 29th, 2007 @ 1:13pm)

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-171805-tex ... nts+mexico
================================================
AZ. has done this too.

AZ. Schools call roll at a border crossing

June 24, 2007

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-70452-cale ... l+students

Unbelievable amount of comments coming in on that story. The anger is palpable.

D'oh, what took us so long to take action!

What do you think of the school district's actions?
Thumbs up 78%
Thumbs down 22%

Total Votes: 205,114

How do you think the nation is dealing with illegal immigration?
Too leniently 82%
Too harshly 12%
Just right 6%

Total Votes: 195,998

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4575--0-0.html