Officials deport president of Palomar MEChA club



By Linda Lou
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

January 17, 2008

The president of the MEChA club at Palomar College has been deported to Mexico, immigration officials said yesterday.
AdvertisementPaola Oropeza, 22, was arrested Jan. 8 by a fugitive operations team with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for the department in San Diego.
Oropeza had been ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge, but she failed to comply with that order, Mack said. At the time of her arrest, Oropeza was in the country illegally and was taken to Tijuana, Mack said.
Oropeza did not have a criminal record, said Mack, who could not provide details about Oropeza's immigration background. Oropeza was arrested with three people who are believed to be relatives, Mack said. One is still in deportation proceedings.
When reached on a cell phone yesterday, Oropeza declined to comment. She said her attorney has advised her not to talk to the media.
MEChA, or Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, is a Latino student group with chapters in high schools and colleges. It focuses on empowerment through education as well as political, cultural and social awareness.
A staff assistant in Palomar College's student affairs office who works with student clubs said Oropeza was president last year and remained in that role this year. She said MEChA is fairly active on campus, especially in the fall. The group holds a cultural event on campus each winter called a “Night of Cultureâ€