Thread: Illegal immigrants, students fast to revive bill

Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007
Posted on Wed, Jul. 04, 2007
Illegal immigrants, students fast to revive bill
By JULIANA BARBASSA
Even as most of the nation wolfed down burgers at backyard barbecues, about 35 students around the state refused to eat in hopes of bringing back a federal proposal that would help illegal immigrants go to college and become legal.
In San Jose, five students spent Wednesday - their third day without food - amid banners and dozens of supporters in front of U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren's office to ask their representative to bring back the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The DREAM Act, as it is known, had been folded into the immigration reform proposal shot down in the Senate last week.

This bit of the defeated bill, co-sponsored by Lofgren, would allow illegal immigrants who graduate from U.S. high schools to become temporary residents, qualifying for in-state tuition and financial aid, if they went to college or joined the military. If they stayed out of trouble and met these requirements, they could become permanent legal residents.

The students fasting this week - some for four days, some for seven - hoped their stand, taken at a time when the nation is focused on what it means to be American, would sway legislators to give this proposal another shot.

"We want our Congresspeople to take action and not be afraid of political drawbacks," said one of the fasters, Cesar Juarez, 21, an undocumented immigrant studying at San Jose State University.

Critics of the measure say giving in to undocumented immigrants, even in areas like education, might encourage others to enter the country illegally to take advantage of the programs. And any time someone who is not authorized to be in the United States gets a scholarship or financial aid, that means less money for the students who are here legitimately, opponents argue.

But the measure was one of the least divisive pieces of the massive bill, which would have created a path to citizenship for the approximately 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, strengthened the border and beefed up immigration enforcement. In the days following the bill's demise, some lawmakers expressed hope that Congress would take another look at this proposal.

The students wanted to keep that possibility alive, saying they can best serve the country by studying and working legally.

"I just want to be able to contribute to my community," said another of the fasters, Nalleli Sandoval, 21, a psychology major at San Jose State University. "We're not trying to live off of anybody, we just want to be able to make our living, travel, work."

Sandoval moved to the United States with her parents from Jalisco, Mexico, when she was nine years old. Because she's undocumented, she can't get financial aid, grants and most scholarships.

There are about 65,000 illegal immigrants who graduate from American high schools each year and find themselves in Sandoval's situation.

Although California is one of nine states that allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public institutions, these students often have to work full time while in school to finance their education, they said.

Once they graduate, they find that without legal documents they can't work in their fields.

"I have a lot of goals, but always in the back of my head is the knowledge that because I'm not legal, I can't get far," said Sandoval, who wants to be an educational counselor.

In Bakersfield, labor leader Dolores Huerta encouraged the 14 students who were fasting there as they waited in a public park for 18 more from the Los Angeles area.

The group planned to travel to San Jose and then to San Francisco on Thursday. Some students planned to break their fast Thursday at a rally in front of San Francisco's City Hall. Others planned to go without food until Monday, when they would rally in front of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office and ask for her support for the proposal.



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"We want our Congresspeople to take action and not be afraid of political drawbacks," said one of the fasters, Cesar Juarez, 21, an undocumented immigrant studying at San Jose State University

.

Let me make this perfectly clear you idiot. You are an illegal alien. You are here illegally. You have no legal rights in this country and you do not have a Congressmen here. American citizens do. You do not. Comprender?

The students fasting this week - some for four days, some for seven - hoped their stand, taken at a time when the nation is focused on what it means to be American

,

What it means to be an American is to support America and obey the law. You have done neither. Make a call on you cell phone...to somebody who cares. Ted Kennedy's number is (202) 224-4543. You can all go out to a Mexican karoke bar and have a sing-a-long.

zeezil

Your in rare form today :P :P :P

Maybe they will get hungry enough to go home.

"There are about 65,000 illegal immigrants who graduate from American high schools each year and find themselves in Sandoval's situation."


What does that cost American taxpayers?

If the illegals returned home they could go as far as they want to. Why do they think that they deserve anything from Americans.

Hey whine bags, call your government and ask them for a special education!

The local Mexican government office is:

Mexican Consulate
540 North First St.
San Jose, CA 95112
Tel: (40 294-3414

Dixie

I COULDNT CARE LESS IF THESE PEOPLE STARVE THEMSELVES. I DONT UNDERSTAND HUNGER STRIKES ANYWAY. SO WHAT? THEY CAN EAT IF THEY WANT TO. BUT ITS A FREE COUNTRY AND THEY DONT HAVE TO EAT IF THEY DONT WANT TO. WHO CARES IF THEY DONT EAT? ITS SILLY

This is such nonsense. Nobody give a hoot how hungry they get.