Thread: IMMIGRATION RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED, AND DEPORTED

Immigration Activist Deported to Mexico
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/9256676.html
Posted: 8:07 AM Aug 20, 2007
Last Updated: 8:07 AM Aug 20, 2007
(AP)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) An illegal immigrant who stayed in a Chicago church for a year to avoid separation from her 8-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, has been deported to Mexico, the church's pastor said.

Elvira Arellano was arrested Sunday afternoon outside Our Lady Queen of Angels church in Los Angeles. She was deported several hours later, said the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where Arellano had taken refuge.


"She has been deported. She is free and in Tijuana," said Coleman, who said he spoke to her on the phone. "She is in good spirits. She is ready to continue the struggle against the separation of families from the other side of the border."

A message left with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials late Sunday was not immediately returned.

Arellano, 32, has become a symbol of the struggles of illegal immigrant parents and a source of controversy. She had said Saturday she was not afraid of being taken into custody by immigration agents.

"From the time I took sanctuary the possibility has existed that they arrest me in the place and time they want," she said in Spanish. "I only have two choices. I either go to my country, Mexico, or stay and keep fighting. I decided to stay and fight."

Coleman said Arellano had brought to light her struggle, and for that, "she has won a victory."

Los Angeles area Catholic priest Father Luis Angel Nieto said he learned of Arellano's deportation by speaking by phone with Mexican authorities.

"Tomorrow we are going to start trying to get her back," said Angel, who is a supporter of the New Sanctuary Movement, in which a handful of churches across the country have begun to house illegal immigrants.

Arellano's supporters in Chicago learned of the news early Monday morning.

"We know that she'll continue the struggle and we will continue the struggle with greater faith, greater steadfastness and greater force," said Catherine Archibald, a parishioner of Coleman's church.

Arellano came to Washington state illegally in 1997. She was deported to Mexico shortly after, but returned and moved to Illinois in 2000, taking a job cleaning planes at O'Hare International Airport.

She was arrested in 2002 at O'Hare and convicted of working under a false Social Security number. She was to surrender to authorities last August.

She sought refuge at the storefront church on Chicago's West Side Aug. 15, 2006. She had not left the church property until deciding to be driven to Los Angeles, Coleman said.

Immigration authorities confirmed the arrest and said in a statement earlier Sunday that Arellano was "being processed for removal to Mexico based upon a deportation order originally issued by a federal immigration judge in 1997."

Immigration activists responded with anger to her arrest, and promised protests and vigils to support her.

"We are sad, but at the same time we are angry," said Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano. "How dare they arrest this woman?"

Anti-illegal immigrant groups said the arrest was long overdue.

"Just because the woman has gone public and made an issue of the fact that she is defying law doesn't mean the government doesn't have to do its job," said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors limits on immigration.

Arellano said she was staying in the United States illegally because of her son, Saul, who was born in America. Arellano has repeatedly called for a stop to immigration raids that break up "mixed families," that is families that have some members with legal status and others who are in the country illegally.

Emma Lozano, Coleman's wife and head of immigration rights group Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, said she is Saul's legal guardian. At a Sunday afternoon press conference in Los Angeles, the boy hid behind Lozano and wiped away tears.

"He's taking it better than we thought he would," Lozano said of the boy being separated from Arellano.

While being arrested, Lozano said that Arellano spoke briefly with her son before submitting herself to authorities.

"She calmed him down, hugged him and gave him a blessing," said Lozano.

Illegal immigrant activist Arellano deported to Mexico, pastor says
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — An illegal immigrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year to avoid being separated from her U.S.-born son has been deported to Mexico, the church’s pastor said.
http://www.newstimes.com/news/updates.p ... ws_updates

Elvira Arellano became an activist and a national symbol for illegal immigrant parents as she defied her deportation order and spoke out from her religious sanctuary. She held a news conference last week to announce that she would finally leave the church to try to lobby U.S. lawmakers for change.

She had just spoken at rally Los Angeles rally when she was arrested Sunday outside Our Lady Queen of Angels church and deported, said the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where Arellano had been living.

"She has been deported. She is free and in Tijuana," said Coleman, who said he spoke to her on the phone. "She is in good spirits. She is ready to continue the struggle against the separation of families from the other side of the border."

Her 8-year-old son, Saul, is now living with Coleman’s family. During a news conference in Los Angeles after Arellano’s arrest, the boy hid behind the pastor’s wife and wiped away tears.

Arellano had said on Saturday that she was not afraid of being taken into custody by immigration agents.

"From the time I took sanctuary, the possibility has existed that they arrest me in the place and time they want," she said in Spanish. "I only have two choices. I either go to my country, Mexico, or stay and keep fighting. I decided to stay and fight."

Arellano, 32, arrived in Washington state illegally in 1997. She was deported to Mexico shortly afterward, but returned and moved to Illinois in 2000, taking a job cleaning planes at O’Hare International Airport.

She was arrested in 2002 at O’Hare and convicted of working under a false Social Security number. She was to surrender to authorities last August but instead sought refuge at the church on Aug. 15, 2006.

She had not left the church property until she decided to travel by car to Los Angeles, Coleman said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed her Sunday arrest. Spokeswoman Gail Montenegro said the agency would have further details on the deportation later Monday.

Arellano is staying with a friend in Tijuana, Coleman said. He said she had brought to light her struggle, and for that, "she has won a victory."

"She’ll be organizing on the Mexican side of the border while we’re organizing in the (United) States," Coleman said Monday. "She’ll be talking to organizations throughout Mexico and congressmen in Mexico City."

Coleman said he and other activists will continue Arellano’s original plan to go to Washington, D.C., and take part in a prayer meeting and rally for immigration reform at the Capitol on Sept. 12.

Immigration activists promised protests and vigils to support Arellano.

"We are sad, but at the same time we are angry," said Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano. "How dare they arrest this woman?"

Anti-illegal immigrant groups said the arrest was long overdue.

"Just because the woman has gone public and made an issue of the fact that she is defying law doesn’t mean the government doesn’t have to do its job," said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors limits on immigration.

Arellano has repeatedly called for a stop to immigration raids that break up families with some members who are in the U.S. legally and others illegally. She has said her son would be deprived of his rights as a U.S. citizen if he had to go to Mexico simply because she did.

Emma Lozano, Coleman’s wife and head of immigration rights group Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, said she was Saul’s legal guardian.

"He’s taking it better than we thought he would," Lozano said.

While being arrested, Arellano spoke briefly with her son before submitting to authorities, Lozano said.

"She calmed him down, hugged him and gave him a blessing," Lozano said.

Deported illegal immigrant to continue activism, pastor says
By PETER PRENGAMAN Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 08/20/2007 12:13:29 AM PDT
http://origin.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6667694

LOS ANGELES—Elvira Arellano knew that leaving a Chicago church, where she had taken refuge to avoid deportation and stay with her young American son, could lead to her arrest and removal from the country.
Just a day before immigration officials caught up with her, she had promised to take her cause to Washington, saying that possible deportation wouldn't deter her decision to "stay and fight."

Now in Mexico after being arrested in Los Angeles Sunday and deported several hours later, she's pledged to keep up her campaign for immigration reform, according to the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where Arellano lived the past year.

"She is in good spirits," Coleman said. "She is ready to continue the struggle against the separation of families from the other side of the border."

A 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, Arellano has become both a beacon of hope for millions illegal immigrants and a lighting rod for conservatives who saw her brazen refusal to leave the U.S. as proof of lax enforcement.

Arellano said she took refuge in the church to avoid being separated from her 8-year-old son Saul, who was born in the U.S.

As news of her arrest first spread, angry immigration activists predicted it would inject new life into the immigration reform movement, which has struggled to gain momentum the last year as immigration agents have stepped up raids and Congress has shelved the issue.

"This can backfire on authorities big time," said Jorge Mujica, an organizer with Chicago's March 10 Coalition. "Arellano's a symbol of the movement, and you don't jail a symbol. Politically it's a big mistake."

Anti-illegal immigrant groups said the arrest was long overdue.

"She had obviously decided to become a cause celebrity," said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors limits on immigration. "Other than having a young son, there was little to feel sympathy for."

Arellano was arrested around 1:30 p.m. Sunday outside Our Lady Queen of Angels church on Los Angeles' historic Olvera Street, and deported several hours later, said Coleman.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago confirmed the arrest, and spokeswoman Gail Montenegro said the agency would have further details on the deportation Monday.

Coleman said Arellano, who is staying with a friend in Tijuana, had brought to light her struggle, and for that, "she has won a victory."

"She'll be organizing on the Mexican side of the border while we're organizing in the (United) States," Coleman said Monday. "She'll be talking to organizations throughout Mexico and congressmen in Mexico City."

Coleman said he and other activists will continue Arellano's original plan to go to Washington and take part in a prayer meeting and rally for immigration reform at the Capitol on Sept. 12.

Emma Lozano, Coleman's wife and head of immigration rights group Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, said she would be taking care of Saul, Arellano's 8-year-old son.

Immigrants who've been deported and re-entered the country illegally can be tried criminally, though most are deported. Arellano's swift deportation drew sharp criticism from Coleman.

"What is clear is that their only intent was to silence her," said Coleman. "They just dumped her on the border."

In a statement released late Sunday by the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, Mexico's foreign ministry demanded more information about the arrest, and asked whether Arellano had been "informed of her right to consular assistance."

A letter was written to "immigration authorities expressing profound concern about the event and demanding an explanation on how the detention was carried out," said the statement.

Arellano had arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, leaving her sanctuary for the first time in a year to campaign for immigration reform.

Her decision to take sanctuary inspired a "New Sanctuary Movement," in which a handful of churches across the country have begun to house illegal immigrants.

But a long immigration rap sheet caused anger among conservatives, and even drew the ire of some immigrants who argued Arellano's defiance made it harder for all undocumented communities.

Arellano came to Washington state illegally in 1997. She was deported to Mexico shortly after, but returned and moved to Illinois in 2000, taking a job cleaning planes at O'Hare International Airport.

She was arrested in 2002 at O'Hare and later convicted of working under a false Social Security number. She was to surrender to authorities last August when she sought sanctuary at the storefront church on Chicago's West Side. She had not left the church property until deciding to be driven to Los Angeles, Coleman said.
———
Associated Press writers Michael Tarm and Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

• Video (8/19): Arellano Arrest + Local Community Reaction

The "local community reaction" clip is limited to the whining of Elvira's illegal alien supporters only. This obvious bias revolting.

added to homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=2484

Time to remove that Pastor's tax status!!!

Originally Posted by BorderLegionnaire

Time to remove that Pastor's tax status!!!

You said it!! That church needs to be taken to the mat for aiding and abetting.

Dagmar I agree that the clergy should be charged with aiding and abetting. That would show others that they too will be held responsible of they choose to go that route.

This made my day .

Originally Posted by nntrixie

It is good - it is the right thing - I somehow wonder if all this was for show, orchestrated to bring to a head the question of deportations of parents of anchor babies.

She could be the case that decides this for ever - and that may have been planned.

I think you are absolutely right! I hope they all get the message that their anchor has been raised and they are adrift!