Thread: Elvira Arellano: Chicago Sun Times Article and Poll

POLL RESULTS ::

When Elvira Arellano leaves the church she has been hiding in, should authorities arrest her?
They should do nothing.
7% 356 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4139 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 464 votes


Total Votes: 4959

Will feds snare Arellano?
'I'LL GET TO WASHINGTON' | Illegal immigrant vows to attend vigil in D.C.

August 16, 2007

BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter/ecepeda@suntimes.com
On the anniversary of taking refuge in a Chicago church, Elvira Arellano said she's in God's hands and will risk deportation when she leaves her sanctuary Sept. 12 to travel to Washington to lobby for immigration reform.

"I have faith I'll get to Washington," said Arellano, who announced Wednesday morning that she'll travel to the nation's capital to hold an eight-hour prayer vigil in support of an immediate end to raids and deportations.

Asked if this was a direct call for a showdown between herself and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, she said, "I'm not daring anyone, I'm just trying to bring to light what those that are in power don't want to see" -- a reference to the failed attempts at comprehensive immigration reform.


»• Letters: Mexico doesn't want them

Earlier, while reading in English and Spanish from a prepared statement, she declared: ''If this government would separate me from my son, let them do it in front of the men and women who have the responsibility to fix this broken law and uphold the principles of human dignity."
She added, "If they want to arrest me before I get there, it'll be proof that they want to shut me up."

ICE authorities point out they can arrest illegal immigrants in all locales and say they prioritize enforcement efforts based on investigative leads and intelligence.

A federal deportation order was issued against Arellano, 32, in 2002. She had already been deported from the United States in 1997 after attempting to cross the border with fake papers. She was arrested in December 2002 while working at O'Hare Airport under a false Social Security number.

For the last year, she has been living at Adalberto United Methodist Church, 2716 W. Division, with her 8-year-old son Saul, hoping immigration law reform or some other development would allow her to live freely in the United States.

Her critics have been nearly equally critical of ICE's refusal to arrest her in the church.

"On the one hand, you could crack down on this one individual to show that this [claiming sanctuary] is not a sanctioned practice," said Bob Dane, press secretary for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a nonprofit anti-illegal immigration organization. "But given the limited resources -- and a negative public relations side -- they probably figure there are bigger fish to fry."

Few logistical details were offered about how Arellano will travel to Washington or how long she will stay.

Refusing to speculate about her and her son's safety during her trip, she simply said, "I have faith I will be able to stay in the U.S. with my son."

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/5125 ... 16.article
RELATED LINKS
• Illegal immigrant to leave sanctuary

POLL RESULTS ::

When Elvira Arellano leaves the church she has been hiding in, should authorities arrest her?

They should do nothing.
7% 358 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4162 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 467 votes

Total Votes: 4987

Of course they need to get her. No American would receive such treatment. She is a double felon so nab her illegal butt already!

They should do nothing.
7% 358 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4186 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 468 votes


Total Votes: 5012

When Elvira Arellano leaves the church she has been hiding in, should authorities arrest her?

They should do nothing.
7% 358 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4186 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 468 votes

Total Votes: 5012

sippy,
We must have voted at the same time.

When Elvira Arellano leaves the church she has been hiding in, should authorities arrest her?

They should do nothing.
7% 360 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4222 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 470 votes

Total Votes: 5052

POLL RESULTS ::

When Elvira Arellano leaves the church she has been hiding in, should authorities arrest her?
They should do nothing.
7% 362 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4238 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 471 votes


Total Votes: 5071

They should do nothing.
7% 370 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4305 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 479 votes


Total Votes: 5154

They should arrest her and take her directly to the border with her son. She has all the appeals in the world and there is no reason for her to stay any longer in the country.

POLL RESULTS ::

When Elvira Arellano leaves the church she has been hiding in, should authorities arrest her?

They should do nothing.
7% 380 votes
They should arrest her right away.
83% 4377 votes
They should let her make her case in Washington, and then arrest her.
9% 490 votes