Thread: CA:Many in Mendota may get deported

Many in Mendota may get deported
Dozens of Salvadorans had to pay $420 to file papers, but couldn't.
Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008
By Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee

Dozens of Salvadorans in Mendota could face deportation after many were unable to come up with the necessary $420 to meet an application deadline Tuesday afternoon to stay in the United States under a special federal program.

Salvadoran, Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals across the nation had until Tuesday to postmark their application for an extension of temporary protective status. The status generally is extended to immigrants from countries that suffered from environmental disaster or other extraordinary conditions.

Those who don't meet the application deadline or are ineligible can become deportable when their status expires in March.

The recession and a lack of jobs in west Fresno County have made it difficult for Salvadoran nationals to meet the deadline.

"We've never seen anything like this," said immigration consultant Carlos Nuñez. "About 30% of the people haven't done it."

Among them was a man named José, who declined to give his last name. He was trying to borrow the money to avoid missing the deadline, Nuñez said. José, 29, last worked on Nov. 5. He usually picks lettuce in the area and in Arizona and makes between $200 to $400 a week working in the fields.

"I'm worried. I don't know what to do. I don't have money," José said in Spanish. "I haven't even paid my car insurance."

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says 229,000 Salvadorans are eligible under a temporary protected status program aimed at helping El Salvador recover from a devastating 2001 earthquake. Salvadoran nationals who entered the United States after Feb. 13, 2001, are not eligible for temporary protective status.

In all, more than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua had to renew their temporary protected status. As of Friday, only 54% had filed papers to do so, according to immigration agency. The applications would extend their temporary protective status and allow them to later extend employment authorization documents through Sept. 9, 2010.

The fee for employment authorization is $340 in addition to $80 for fingerprints. Applicants can apply for a waiver from the fees, but they must prove they're impoverished, said Sharon Rummery, an agency spokeswoman.

Isabel Machado, Fresno's liaison of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said she has heard from colleagues that Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans are not re-registering this year for temporary protective status because they can't afford the fees.

Antonio Cornejo, who lives in Mendota, said he borrowed $520 from a friend. Cornejo hasn't had a job in two months. He went to a notary and paid a person $100 to file the application for him. If he had a car, he would have driven to the federal office in downtown Fresno and just paid the application fees to save $100, he said.

"He gave me the money for 15 days until I find work. I'm looking for work. I hope I can get a job pruning grape vines in January," Cornejo said in Spanish.

Cornejo feels desperate. He said he used to send between $500 to $200 to El Salvador to pay for his father's medical bills. "I don't even have money to eat," he said. "I'm lucky someone lent me some money."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. The reporter can be reached at vcolon@fresnobee.com or (559)441-6313.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1101115.html

Dozens of Salvadorans had to pay $420 to file papers, but couldn't.

If they can't pay that then they are on American's welfare and getting freebies!

The fee for employment authorization is $340 in addition to $80 for fingerprints. Applicants can apply for a waiver from the fees, but they must prove they're impoverished, said Sharon Rummery, an agency spokeswoman.

Why have to have a way for them to get out of paying? The ACLU will get them the waiver. They don't care where our taxpayer money goes.

Isabel Machado, Fresno's liaison of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said she has heard from colleagues that Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans are not re-registering this year for temporary protective status because they can't afford the fees.

Poor babies, bye bye...............

The recession and a lack of jobs in west Fresno County have made it difficult for Salvadoran nationals to meet the deadline.

I'm sorry but this just another BS excuse.

This is NOT something which was just sprung on these people suddenly and with no warning. They KNEW....well ahead of time....that this was coming. Certainly enough time for them to have put away the $420.00.....not an awfully large sum of money or in any way a prohibitive cost.

From the time they knew about this and now how much money had they sent home to their home countries? How much was spent on vehicles, homes, electronics, expensive clothing and accessories, cell phones, ipods, standing regular hair, manicure and pedicure appointments, and all of their other little accoutrements and trappings of their "better lives"?

It's the same old song and dance. They whine and cry about how they are so poor that they can't afford to do what's right when it comes to their immigration status.....or anything else in accordance with any law really.

And yet they have plenty of money to send home and parade around like the Gotrocks.

Unfortunately, for them, nobody is falling for the sob stories anymore. We caught on to them a LONG time ago.


"We've never seen anything like this," said immigration consultant Carlos Nuñez. "About 30% of the people haven't done it."


What is this TELLING you? It's telling you that these people have no intention of staying in this country LEGALLY, that's what it's telling you.
Or that they're all hoping for a blanket amnesty compliments of obama.

And why insult our intelligence by having the nerve to act like you're surprised by this? As if it's some abberation in a normally law abiding people

I have no idea why these folks are still here seven years after an earthquake especially when they compete with Americans for jobs. They should have gone home long ago to help rebuild their country.

You can be sure an Obama administration will force taxpayers to cover their fees. Obama supported S2611 with one of it's provisions forcing taxpayers to pay for immigration attorneys for illegal aliens fighting deportation for crimes and other matters along with any other fees. Lord only knows what else Obama would support too. I also wouldn't be surprised if the bailout will be used for this and other benefits and assistance for illegal aliens.