Thread: Fresno State ASI president may leave office

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Action News learned Fresno State's controversial student body president may soon be leaving office.

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Pedro Ramirez made national news back in November after admitting he's an undocumented immigrant.

When Pedro Ramirez plowed into a tree during winter break, he suffered serious injuries and unknowingly opened the door to a new round of intense criticism.

Still visibly injured from a controversial crash during winter break, Pedro Ramirez looked on as student senators discussed starting the process of removing him from office.

That vote ended up being postponed because of a letter sent by the ACLU claiming the student body government would be breaking the law if it ousted him from his elected position.

"Not wanting to put the organization at any risk, we've decided to postpone until we can hear back from our attorneys." said ASI Executive VP Selena Fernesi.

That issue may have been tabled, but the debate about Ramirez and his January 8th crash continued to dominate the meeting.

Fresno Police cited him for driving without a license. Some in student government believe that violation is grounds to have him removed. But the facial injuries Ramirez suffered could make those efforts unnecessary.

"There's a chance that because of my health as I see my doctor in the coming weeks. I might have to step down. That's due to possible more surgeries. If I can't be here to serve you and serve the students, I shouldn't be here." said Ramirez.

Meanwhile critics continued to demand his resignation because of the issue that launched him into the national spotlight in the first place, his undocumented immigrant status.

Fresno State student Neil O'Brien remains Ramirez biggest detractor -- even going so far as to set up a website which claims to document a laundry list of violations involving Ramirez.

"If there's any questions I want answered, I want to know if he's legal and lying or if he's illegal and really doing all these illegal things." said O'Brien.

Flanked by supporters, Ramirez questioned O'Brien's credibility. "He hasn't verified most of this information. If he researched most of this stuff he can probably, most of his stuff can be disproved." added Ramirez.

Ramirez' immigration attorney says his legal status hasn't improved since his story went public.

Lawyers for ASI plan on having a better idea of what actions the senate can take to start the process of possibly removing Ramirez in about a week.

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Student Wants Answers from FS Student Pres.

The Fresno State student government has their regular meeting this afternoon on campus. And, one student plans to ask student president Pedro Ramirez some tough questions about his immigration status.

"I want to ask Pedro directly. There is no reason for me to pull the carpet from underneath (him). He has to come clean," Neil O'Brien, a Recreation Studies senior tells KMJ.

O'Brien plans to ask Ramirez about documents showing he registered to vote in Tulare County and his recent traffic accident in Fresno.

Ramirez revealed last year he is an illegal immigrant.

KMJ reviewed the voter registration form of a Pedro Ramirez, with the same age and address as the Fresno State student president. Elections officials say, though, that he never voted.

On January 9, Ramirez was involved in a traffic accident in Fresno, sending himself and his passenger to the hospital. Police cited Ramirez for driving without a license. The car registration belonged to a Martin Ramirez who shares the same Tulare address as Pedro.

O'Brien has been adamant about demanding answers from Ramirez, operating a website, therealpedro.com. Although O'Brien seeks donations, he says his effort is largely self-funded.

KMJ has invited Ramirez and his attorney, Jessica Smith Bobadilla of Fresno, to appear on our station, but neither has responded.

http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/landing_new ... feedID=806

Fresno State Student Body President May Step–Down
Posted: Jan 27, 2011 2:03 AM EST
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Fresno State Student Body President May Step–Down By Norma Yuriar

Fresno, Calif. (KMPH News) – Two months after admitting he was an illegal immigrant, Fresno State's student body president is considering stepping down. Pedro Ramirez says his immigration status has nothing to do with it.

"This is more of a personal issue," Ramirez said.

For the first time since a recent car crash, Ramirez addressed members of the student senate about his future.

"As you can see I was in an accident," Ramirez said. "I take full responsibility and all of the consequences for it."

Those consequences include possibly having to step down after getting cited for driving without a license in early January. It's a violation of the university's code of conduct.

Critics are calling for his resignation.

"Here's the picture, Pedro Ramirez says he's illegal," Fresno State Student Neil O'Brien said. "He's driving illegally."

Wednesday night members of the Associated Students Inc. (ASI) considered reviewing that accusation among others, before the ACLU stepped in.

"We received a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) indicating there was some problem with that," ASI Executive Vice President Selena Farnesi said. "Not wanting to put our organization at any risk, we decided to postpone until we can hear back from our attorneys."

According to the ACLU, the student senate would violate its own by–laws if it asked the student body president to step down.

ACLU's Bill Simon believes the only reason Ramirez is getting this much attention is because of his immigration status.

"We badly need to reform our immigration law, it's extremely unfair," Simon said. "It never has been very good."

Not everyone agrees.

"I refuse to believe that a four year college degree is harder to get than legal citizenship. Or legal residency, I don't accept that at all," Ron Arteno said.

Ramirez is still recovering from the crash. He wore a patch over his left eye during Wednesday night's meeting.

Investigators say the morning of the accident Ramirez was driving a relative's truck. He got behind the wheel because his friend had been drinking.

"There's a chance because of my health, as I see my doctor in the coming weeks – I might have to step down, that's due to possible more surgeries," Ramirez said. "If I can't be here to serve you and serve the students I shouldn't be here."

Ramirez is scheduled to graduate from Fresno State University later this year. His immigration attorney says as of right now the only way Ramirez will be able to stay in the U.S. legally is if lawmaker's approve the Dream Act, which gives college students a path to citizenship.

If he did register to vote, that is a deportable offense. He must be deported after serving any time for this.

What the article fails to mention is that O'Brien is a legal immigrant from Argentina. How about them apples?

Why hasn't this criminal been deported yet?

Fresno State student leader may resign due to injury

Posted at 02:27 PM on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
By Paula Lloyd / The Fresno Bee Share49
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â–*Harsh light hits Fresno State's Ramirez

The Fresno State student body president and illegal immigrant hailed as a poster child for the DREAM Act now faces a growing public backlash.
************************************************** ********

Fresno State student body President Pedro Ramirez, the subject of controversy after he revealed he is an illegal immigrant, told student leaders Wednesday he may have to resign if he needs surgery for injuries received in a recent traffic accident.

Meanwhile, the student senate postponed indefinitely a decision to formally review Ramirez after the American Civil Liberties Union called the move an improper attempt to force him out of office.

Ramirez told members of the student senate that he is waiting to hear from his doctor about possible additional surgery on his left eye, said university spokeswoman Shirley Armbruster.

Ramirez, 22, of Tulare, sparked controversy after admitting last fall that he is an illegal immigrant. He also has drawn praise and criticism for lobbying in Washington, D.C., for the DREAM Act. The federal bill would offer a path for young people like Ramirez, who says his parents brought him across the border when he was 3, to become citizens.

Ramirez, who does not have a California driver's license, was injured Jan. 9 while giving a ride to a friend who had been drinking, Fresno police reports said. Ramirez was driving a pickup that crashed into a tree. Officers said there were signs Ramirez was speeding, but no alcohol was detected on him.

CRAIG KOHLRUSS /THE FRESNO BEE
Student body President Pedro Ramirez, left, sits next to Executive Vice President Selena Farnesi, who leads an ASI meeting Wednesday at California State University, Fresno. Ramirez said he may resign.
CRAIG KOHLRUSS /THE FRESNO BEEOutspoken Pedro Ramirez critic Neil O'Brien speaks at a Associated Students Inc. meeting Wednesday at Fresno State.
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More coverage of schools and education Ramirez was hospitalized briefly with an injury to his left eye, which was covered with a gauze patch Wednesday at the Fresno State student senate meeting.

On Wednesday's student senate agenda were items that requested votes on formal reviews of Ramirez and one of his vice presidents. The senate decided to postpone the votes, student Vice President Selena Farnesi said, to give the senate's attorneys time to evaluate a letter from the ACLU that calls into question the process by which the senate would remove Ramirez from office.

In the Jan. 25 letter, ACLU attorney Linda Lye said the student senate's personnel committee already has reviewed anonymous complaints about Ramirez and student Vice President of finance Cesar Sanchez. The two received copies of the complaints, but were not told when a hearing was being held and have not received copies of the findings.

According to the student senate's bylaws, Ramirez or Sanchez can be removed from office only for missing three or more senate or executive officer meetings in one semester or if their grades or conduct fall below Fresno State standards, Lye wrote.

Farnesi said it would take attorneys about one week to review the ACLU letter, but that a decision to review Ramirez and Sanchez would be put off indefinitely.


Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/26/224 ... z1CIgacmDQ

http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/26/224 ... r-may.html

Interesting website with stories and videos about Pedro:

http://www.therealpedro.com/

One thing is for sure he's no poster boy!

Originally Posted by miguelina

If he did register to vote, that is a deportable offense. He must be deported after serving any time for this.

What the article fails to mention is that O'Brien is a legal immigrant from Argentina. How about them apples?

These ILLEGAL SOB"S here in CA all vote. Time to deport all of them and recall the last elections here.

Originally Posted by TakingBackSoCal

These ILLEGAL SOB"S here in CA all vote. Time to deport all of them and recall the last elections here.

NY too.

Who's paying his medical bills? Transported to "CRMC" (Community Regional Medical Center) via Ambulance. Non-Profit hospital that reports to the Fresno County Board. This sounds like a county funded hospital.

Originally Posted by Mayday

Interesting website with stories and videos about Pedro:

The Accident: Pedro had no ID no DL and Impairment Unknown is checked.

Passenger Luis Hernandez, student, Identified by Matricula Card. Luis said he had been drinking all day but not with Pedro.

Speed appears to be a contributor to the accident.

So obvious that he registered to vote too. That's a felony.

Dixie