Thread: Hispanic youths launch movement against mounting deportation

Hispanic youths launch movement against mounting deportations
Posted on Mon, Feb. 19, 2007
DAVE CARPENTER
Associated Press


CHICAGO - The dreaded knock on the door comes more frequently these days, usually early in the morning or late at night, as federal agents arrive without warning at the homes of undocumented immigrants.

For Martin Barrios, it happened just before Christmas when the Berwyn factory worker was arrested in his pajamas in front of his family and deported to Mexico after 18 years in this country.

Now children who fear their mothers, fathers or neighbors could be next are fighting back, determined to help stop the stepped-up raids on illegal immigrants while Congress debates the issue.

A group of Hispanic teenagers from the Chicago area has formed to lobby against the deportations, and at least 50 of them plan to head to Washington on March 15 to demand a moratorium on such raids.

They are hopeful that their protest will ignite a movement.

Seventeen-year-old Jesus Palafox, a member of the newly formed El Zocalo Urbano youth group, said Monday that he and others were inspired by last year's huge immigration marches in Chicago and nationwide. Deportations are breaking up more and more families, he said, even though "we are not criminals."

"Every day we see it in our neighborhoods," he said in the group's small office in the mostly Mexican-American Pilsen neighborhood. "We see families getting separated."

The group so far consists of youths from eight high schools and four city colleges.

While their ranks may be small, Palafox, a high-school senior whose family moved to Chicago six years ago, said they have huge numbers of sympathizers and potential supporters.

"We think a lot of teenagers will see us and will be inspired to do the same thing," he said.

For many of the youths, and the Centro Sin Fronteras immigration rights group that is helping them organize, the Barrios deportation was a chilling call to action.

Hopeful that Congress would pass legislation aiding those like himself with "mixed immigration status," Barrios had become well-known as a symbol of the many illegal immigrants who risk leaving their U.S.-born children behind if deported.

Similarly, immigration activist Elvira Arellano remains holed up at a local Methodist church where she and her now 8-year-old son have taken refuge since mid-August to avoid her deportation.

The Barrios raid was just one in a string of immigration arrests in recent months. All told, nearly 190,000 illegal immigrants were deported last year.

Authorities say many of the crackdowns have targeted illegal immigrants who went into hiding after skipping their deportation proceedings and criminals who re-entered the United States after being previously deported for crimes committed in this country.

But El Zocalo Urbano contends Mexican-American communities are under attack.

"My relatives and friends go through this every day," said member Anahi Tapia, 17. "The government needs to see the youth - see that we really want to do this."

Emma Lozano, head of Centro Sin Fronteras, praised the teens for deciding to do something about family unification.

"We're fighting not just for papers but for justice," she said. "We're contributing to this country's economy."

While awaiting this year's May 1 marches, the youth group also plans to form a human chain through the Pilsen neighborhood on March 29 following its trip to Washington.

"You're going to be lighting the match to a much bigger fire," Lozano told them.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/bellevill ... 735235.htm

"We're fighting not just for papers but for justice," she said. "We're contributing to this country's economy."

Go home and fight for your own country, ya big chicken s--t. Freedom isn't free, you have to fight for it..in your own country. There isn't any justice here for you as long as you are here without applying to come into this country.

How can they claim that they are not criminals when they are in this country illegally? Invading our country is criminal.

Originally Posted by Cindy

How can they claim that they are not criminals when they are in this country illegally? Invading our country is criminal.

Well, since these are the children of illegal aliens, they are probably still indulging in the fantasy (given flesh by lilly-livered politicians and judges who won't call a spade a spade) that since they were born on US soil they are automatically US citizens. We need to get a case to the Supreme Court a.s.a.p. so that these dirtbags will stop claiming that Amendment XIV means something that it CLEARLY does not.

Yes, you ARE criminals!

I still would like them to explain how they supposidly "contribute" to the economy. Paying sales tax isn't what I call contributing to the economy. I can't see how they could be paying income tax, and the ones who are could be using forged documents. So if illegals are taking more out of the system (remember those little 14th amendment deductions) than they are putting in, clearly they are not contributing to the economy.

While awaiting this year's May 1 marches, the youth group also plans to form a human chain through the Pilsen neighborhood on March 29 following its trip to Washington.

I hope ICE has a bus big enough to accomodate the human chain. No need to clown around with one persona at a time when you can pick up several.

Minor children do not run the world, adults do.

Dixie

Follow your parents back to Mexico, we don't need the next generation of thugs marching the streets, !!

If they're here illegally they're not "mexican Americans"...they're criminal aliens in our country! Period! "mexican American" communities my butt!

And, who's paying for the education of these children whose parents are in our country ILLEGALLY? I know their tax dollars at the local Wal-Mart aren't. Find out just what high schools and colleges they're attending and go get the parents! If the kids want to be junior terrorists, demanding rights they have no right to, send them with the parents.