Thread: [SOB]Illegal immigrant details long, dangerous journey

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Illegal immigrant details long, dangerous journey to America
Illegal immigrant details long, dangerous journey to America
By BECKY W. EVANS, Standard-Times staff writer

Alex's six-month journey to New Bedford began in El Salvador in 2000.
He was 20 years old and could not support his large family with an average wage of $3 per day. Still reeling from a 12-year civil war, El Salvador was racked with poverty and violence.
Alex's parents decided it was time to send their oldest son to the United States.
The family "was all crying" when he left their San Salvador home one day at 4 a.m., Alex told a reporter through an interpreter. He declined to give his full name out of fear that he might be arrested by immigration police.
After leaving his family, Alex rode a bus through Guatemala and Belize with others in search of a better life.
"We were going after the dream of coming to the United States and making money," he said.
While in Belize, they were forced to hide in a truck for nine hours. "Some people died because they couldn't breathe," he said.
From Belize, Alex and his companions traveled by boat to Mexico. Then for 20 days, they rode in the trunks of cars — three people per trunk — from one Mexican city to another.
They hid from the Mexican police, since they could not afford to pay the bribes needed for release if they were caught, he said.
The final leg of the trip required a difficult hike over the mountains that separate Mexico from California.
At the border, Alex paid a guide about $375 to help him cross into the United States.
The guides are called polleros, which means "chicken herders" in Spanish. Two polleros lead a line of people across the border. One stands at the front of the line and the other at the back. The guide in the back covers their footsteps to prevent immigration police from tracking them.
Alex attempted to cross the border five times before he was successful.
On each occasion, he was caught by U.S. immigration officials and taken to a border station for questioning. Having perfected a Mexican accent, Alex told them he was from Mexico so that he would not be sent back to El Salvador. Instead, they sent him to a Mexican city on the other side of the mountains, where he would begin the trip again.
The mountains were cold and on one occasion, Alex was robbed of his clothes and money. He also recalled being treated like animals by U.S. immigration police, who called the immigrants "sissies" and charged at them with their horses.
"I suffered much to come to the United States," he said.
Before each crossing, Alex scraped his fingertips so police records would not show his same fingerprints. He feared he would be jailed if police caught him trying to cross the border more than once.
The polleros had warned him not to give his name to police if he was caught.
On his sixth try, Alex successfully crossed the border. The polleros gave him a little food and water to sustain him during the three-day walk to the nearest U.S. town. When he and his companions finally arrived at the town, they were exhausted, Alex said.
Some Samaritans gave them a plate of food and they "ate like dogs," he said.
After he recovered, Alex traveled by bus from California to New Bedford, where some of his friends lived.
He spent his first four days in New Bedford searching for a job. He was finally hired to clean fish machinery at $6 per hour.
Alex slowly built a life for himself in New Bedford.
When he could, he sent money to his family in El Salvador.
Three years ago, Alex's brother, Raul, left El Salvador for New Bedford.
Raul paid $7,000 for a "coyote," or guide, who accompanied him on his entire journey. Alex's wages paid part of the expense, with the rest coming from a lien that his mother placed on her house in San Salvador.
Two years ago, Alex married Jamileta, a Salvadorean who also lived in New Bedford. Seven months ago, Jamileta gave birth to a daughter.
Growing into adulthood in New Bedford has changed Alex's relationship with the United States.
"I have found that this country is part of me," he said.
Alex now works installing insulation in people's homes. He still sends money to his family in El Salvador, which continues to be plagued by poverty and violence.
Last week, his New Bedford family was separated when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the textile and leather factory where Jamileta worked in the city's South End.
She and more than 300 illegal workers, who made military equipment for U.S. troops, were arrested and detained at Fort Devens.
While Jamileta was detained, her daughter grew sick with a fever. Alex took the baby to the hospital. The pediatrician contacted federal agents at Fort Devens and helped persuade them to release Jamileta because of her daughter's illness.
Jamileta returned on Thursday to New Bedford, where she was reunited with her husband and daughter.
Meanwhile, about 200 of her co-workers were flown to detention centers in Texas. Fewer than 100 of the detainees are being held at Massachusetts facilities.
Jamileta faces a deportation hearing later this month, but Alex cannot afford to hire a lawyer to help his wife. Instead, he and his daughter will represent her, he said.
"We are human," he said. "We have the right to happiness."
The United States "is not mine, but I feel I have the right to be here," he said.
He urged other immigrants to fight to stay in the United States: "I'm saying from my heart to be strong.
"There is a God in the sky that is looking out for us."
Becky W. Evans can be reached
at revans@s-t.com

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03 ... 1local.htm

"On each occasion, he was caught by U.S. immigration officials and taken to a border station for questioning. Having perfected a Mexican accent, Alex told them he was from Mexico so that he would not be sent back to El Salvador. Instead, they sent him to a Mexican city on the other side of the mountains, where he would begin the trip again. "


Lying to a federal law enforcement agent is precisely the crime that got Martha Stewart into prison.

I hope that when Alex shows up at the hearing, that the judge has this article, and that he is sentenced to jail time.

He was 20 years old and could not support his large family with an average wage of $3 per day

Because he was hoarding at least $375 + bus fare to enter this country illegally to take a job that a LEGAL resident needed to support HIS family.

"

The United States "is not mine, but I feel I have the right to be here," he said.

NO, not unless you come in through the correct legal avenues. I am SO sick of illegals false sense of entitlement AND really sick of them wanting us to feel sorry for them.
FEEL SORRY FOR US.............illegals are taking jobs and killing Americans in the thousands. WE ARE BEING INVADED!

Originally Posted by April

"

The United States "is not mine, but I feel I have the right to be here," he said.

NO, not unless you come in through the correct legal avenues. I am SO sick of illegals false sense of entitlement AND really sick of them wanting us to feel sorry for them.
FEEL SORRY FOR US.............illegals are taking jobs and killing Americans in the thousands. WE ARE BEING INVADED!

WELL SAID APRIL, COME THE LEGAL WAY, ILLEGAL MEANS CRIMINAL, LAW BREAKERS, INVADER OF OTHER PERSON HOME
TAKE YOUR ANCHOR BABY, I FEEL SORRY FOR US WHO VAVE TO SUPPORT ALL THESE CRIMINALS AT HOME.
STOP ANCHOR BABIES

I am sure that Minnie can confirm that the Miami Herald has printed some of those sob stories as well. One was about a Guatamalan in Fort Lauderdale who was robbed on numerous occassions and ended up being killed for a few dollars. The story went on about how he came here, the work he did and the money he sent home bought furniture, a refrigerator and send his kids to a private Catholic school. Then they wrote about what hardships that family is sufferring now that the man is no longer sending money over as the furniture and refrigerator have been repoed and the kids are going to a public school and the wife can't afford to pay the bills with what little money she makes.
Then there was the one about the Guatamalan baby killer. She paid aroud $6,000 to a smuggler to come here and went to work in tree nursery. The woman was pregnant but denied it to coworkers and gave birth prematurely and threw the baby in a portable restroom on the property and attempted to go back to work. In fact this woman was doing things to deliberately cause a miscarriage and that is what she told police during her confession. I don't feel sorry for her as she can sit in jail, think about what she did and about her free oneway ticket back home. What amazes me is that there are people out there who are standing up for her and want this out standing citizen to be allowed to stay here legally. Give me a break!

So whatever happened to the concept of "If you roll the dice, you get what you take."

If illegals are going to roll the 'illegal dice' and break laws, then they need to learn to accept the consequences of their actions!

Originally Posted by swatchick

I am sure that Minnie can confirm that the Miami Herald has printed some of those sob stories as well. One was about a Guatamalan in Fort Lauderdale who was robbed on numerous occassions and ended up being killed for a few dollars. The story went on about how he came here, the work he did and the money he sent home bought furniture, a refrigerator and send his kids to a private Catholic school. Then they wrote about what hardships that family is sufferring now that the man is no longer sending money over as the furniture and refrigerator have been repoed and the kids are going to a public school and the wife can't afford to pay the bills with what little money she makes.
Then there was the one about the Guatamalan baby killer. She paid aroud $6,000 to a smuggler to come here and went to work in tree nursery. The woman was pregnant but denied it to coworkers and gave birth prematurely and threw the baby in a portable restroom on the property and attempted to go back to work. In fact this woman was doing things to deliberately cause a miscarriage and that is what she told police during her confession. I don't feel sorry for her as she can sit in jail, think about what she did and about her free oneway ticket back home. What amazes me is that there are people out there who are standing up for her and want this out standing citizen to be allowed to stay here legally. Give me a break!

I had a Miami Herald signature - I cancelled, I couldn't take any longer how they were excusing and supporting these criminals invaders .
Then I change to Sun Sentinel, hoping to read something more balanced . It was the same crap.
Now I go to the internet, at least I don't get so upset, and I can read things that here they will never publicize .

"We are human," he said. "We have the right to happiness."
The United States "is not mine, but I feel I have the right to be here," he said.
He urged other immigrants to fight to stay in the United States: "I'm saying from my heart to be strong.
"There is a God in the sky that is looking out for us."

Of course you are human and you have a right to happiness. That is something only you can create. NO, the United States Is NOT yours, and unless you are LEGAL or come through the proper channels to attain citizenship, you have NO RIGHT to be here.