Thread: Refuge- Look it's President Bush's good buddy Luis Guiterrez

U.S. Rep. urges Bush to intervene

August 16, 2006

BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter




U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) has written a letter to President George Bush urging him to intervene on behalf of Elvira Arellano, an immigration activist who is is hunkered down at a west side church to avoid deportation to Mexico. In the letter, Gutierrez details Arellano’s son Saul’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and his need for continuing medical and counseling services.

Gutierrez introduced private relief bill for Arellano in April of 2005. In his letter he asks the President “to allow the legislation I introduced the opportunity to be addressed before you take action to deport this outstanding woman.”

Arellano, 31, moved into a small room above Adalberto United Methodist Church, 2176 W. Division St., along with her seven-year-old son Saul, claiming sanctuary Tuesday morning.

She was to have reported to immigration offices to be deported but is waiting for private bills to extend her stay in the United States. A prayer service was held this morning at the church.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson Tim Counts said Arellano is considered a fugitive who will be arrested and deported at a future time and date, regardless of where she is residing. “We have the authority to arrest anyone in violation of U.S. law anywhere in the United States.”

Comparing herself to civil rights legend Rosa Parks, Arellano she will stay at the church as long as it takes to obtain an extension, and is armed with video cameras to film a possible church arrest.

“If they come for me in this place they’ll have to face God. We have video cameras and we’ll show how the federals violate the house of God,” she said.

ecepeda@suntimes.com

Comparing herself to civil rights legend Rosa Parks, Arellano she will stay at the church as long as it takes to obtain an extension, and is armed with video cameras to film a possible church arrest.

“If they come for me in this place they’ll have to face God. We have video cameras and we’ll show how the federals violate the house of God,” she said.

Why is this getting so much publicity? And if she can get away with this we'll open another pandora's box of individuals asking for exceptions based on their sorry stories. I'm a caring person myself but thanks to what all I've seen regarding illegal immigration in CA I no longer am affected by sorry stories. Not when this country is splitting apart by two civilizations.