Thread: Student's deportation put off as Feinstein intervenes

Again Think the writer of this article was Involved RED ALERT..... DREAM ACT IS COMING
Jessica Kwong, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle November 14, 2010
(11-14) 16:03 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein has asked immigration authorities to halt the deportation of City College of San Francisco nursing student Steve "Shing Ma" Li while she considers introducing a bill that would allow him to stay in the U.S. temporarily, her office said today.
The effort by Feinstein came as Li's attorney said his removal flight to Peru would no longer happen on Monday, as initially planned. The lawyer, Sin Yen Ling, said the immigration officer that told her of the change of plans did not give her any more details.

"Why? I don't know," said Ling, whose client is at a detention center in Florence, Ariz. "In terms of when he's going to be put on a plane, I don't know that either. They wouldn't provide me with additional information but I do think it has a lot to do with the advocacy work that's been happening."

Li's case has attracted attention because the 20-year-old says he has no real connection to Peru, nor family members or friends there. His parents were born in China but moved to Peru in the 1980s to escape the government's one-child policy. They brought Li to the U.S. at age 11.

The three were arrested in San Francisco Sept. 15 because they were only allowed to stay in the United States through the end of 2002. Li's parents were released and wear electronic ankle bracelets as they await deportation to China.

Many of Li's supporters, who include thousands of college students and visitors to his Facebook page, rallied for seven hours outside Sen. Barbara Boxer's office in San Francisco on Friday, trying to get her to intervene. Supporters have also engaged in letter-writing campaigns targeting Boxer, Feinstein and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Feinstein's office today noted her support for the DREAM Act, which if passed would grant undocumented immigrant children citizenship if they entered the U.S. before age 15 and were attending college. In a statement, Feinstein said it would be unjust to deport Li before the bill can be voted on.
"I have asked ICE to halt the deportation proceedings while I consider introducing a private bill that will allow Mr. Li to remain in the United States on a temporary basis," Feinstein said.

Private bills are often last resorts in immigration cases. Few of them are successfully passed by Congress.
After meeting with Li's attorney and mother Friday, Boxer's staff reiterated her support for the DREAM Act.

"While we do not introduce private bills, our staff was happy to meet with Mr. Li's family and attorney to discuss his case," spokesman Zachary Coile said.

A spokesman for Pelosi, Drew Hammill, said Friday she believes Li's case "is a textbook example of the pressing need for comprehensive immigration reform and passage of the DREAM Act" and is "working with other Members to recommend that ICE grant deferred action in this case."
Ling, the attorney, asked for a deferral of Li's deportation after his arrest, but said she received a fax from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Friday afternoon denying the request. The decision was made in Arizona, where Li is being detained, and could be reversed by ICE Director John Morton.

"The reality is ICE is as bureaucratic as any other federal agency," Ling said. "So it's just a matter of getting John Morton's attention to say look, the Arizona office denied deferred action and there's something wrong with the decision, and do something about it."

Virginia Kice, an ICE spokeswoman, said in an e-mail today that the agency never confirms the timing of a removal in advance but that Li "remains in ICE custody while the agency seeks to make arrangements for his removal."

Ling said she had not told Li's parents and key supporters about Monday's change of plans, because she did not have enough information and did want to give them false hope.

"I'm optimistic that at least we were able to delay things, but I'm also being cautious about my optimism - I need to be realistic," she said. "Unless he's going to be released from Arizona I need to be prepared that ICE will change their mind and deport him anyway."

E-mail Jessica Kwong at jkwong@sfchronicle.com.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z15JYYgTAI

I am so sick of this crap. Now the taxpayers are forced to foot the bill for all of the hoops this guy Is jumping through. I am soooo tired of all the "marching" and "protesting" In OUR COUNTRY by people that are here Illegally Why don't they go and protest In their own countries for their rights THERE not here.... Ahhhhhhhhhhh

The only IA's being deported are the ones that are self deporting because they can't find work. Deporting this guy would send a message to all invaders that we will enforce our laws. Just kidding "we don't have any laws like that here, It's O.K. Steve you can stay! At least his name isn't Jose!

Feinstein? Boxer? Pelosi?? Have you guys in CA cornered the market on brainless females in Congress? Give us break will you?

Originally Posted by Dansk9

Feinstein? Boxer? Pelosi?? Have you guys in CA cornered the market on brainless females in Congress? Give us break will you?

That's why Caleeeeeeeefornia Is broke Pelosi Is a big reason that our Federal Government Is broke. The voters In Caleeeeeeefornia are a little short on the grey matter as well

Originally Posted by Dansk9

Feinstein? Boxer? Pelosi?? Have you guys in CA cornered the market on brainless females in Congress? Give us break will you?

We have our own fool like that in Miami. Lincoln Diaz-Balart had the Gomez brothers get visas to avoid being deported along with their parents and grandparent to Colombian. They all overstayed their visas by over 15 years. I wonder in the parents even paid income tax as they owned a catering business. There were also other brothers who also attended Miami Dade College and were allowed to stay thanks to Lincoln Diaz-Balart now his brother Mario was elected. Only in Miami would they elect Fidel Castro's nephews.

Steve Li to be released today, following Feinstein's private bill

Steve "Shing Ma" Li is being released from jail today, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer informed his lawyer this afternoon.

Li's lawyer Sin Yen Ling said she called a deportation officer at about 1 p.m. and was told the 20-year-old City College of San Francisco student would be released from the detention center in Florence, Ariz. He spent a six weeks in custody there.

The good news for Li and thousands of his supporters comes hours after California Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced a private bill seeking to block his deportation to Peru.

"It's clearly, definitely because of the introduction of the bill today," Ling said. "I wasn't expecting it would happen so quickly but it's a result of Feinstein's private bill."

Ling said she does not know what time Li will be released, but is currently scrambling to make arrangements for him to ride home to San Francisco on a Greyhound bus.

"He's going to be subject to a supervisor release program where he's going to have to check in with ICE," she said. "That would not on an electronic ankle bracelet, it's a different program than his mom and dad," who await deportation to China.

Feinstein, D-Calif., filed the private bill four days after Li's originally scheduled flight back to Peru, where he was born. Feinstein asked immigration officials earlier this week to put the deportation on hold while she considered whether to introduce the bill.

"I decided to introduce a private bill on Steve's behalf because I believe his removal would be unjust before the Senate gets a chance to vote on the DREAM Act," Feinstein said in a statement.

The DREAM Act, which failed to pass in Congress in September, would grant undocumented immigrant children citizenship if they entered the United States before age 15 and were attending college.

Feinstein said the act will be brought to the floor again in December. She hopes Congress will pass it before the end of this year.

"This important legislation would allow youngsters such as Steve Li to continue making a contribution to the United States, the country that they grew up in and call home," Feinstein said in the statement.

Private bills are often last resorts in immigration cases. Only a small fraction of them get through Congress, but simply introducing a bill puts a deportation on hold.

Li's lawyer, Sin Yen Ling, said she had been submitting requested documents on his case to Feinstein's office all week.

"Nothing was guaranteed whatsoever, so we're really ecstatic at the fact that Feinstein's office did finally decide to introduce this bill," Ling said.

Li's case has attracted attention because he says he has no friends or family in Peru. His parents were born in China but moved to Peru in the 1980s to escape the government's one-child policy. They brought Li to the United States when he was 11.


The three were arrested in San Francisco on Sept. 15 because they were allowed to stay in the United States only through 2002. Li's parents were released and wear electronic ankle bracelets as they await deportation to China, but their son was sent to a detention center in Florence, Ariz., on Oct. 8.

In the last month, students across California and Facebook users have written letters, called and rallied to ask Feinstein, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to intervene.


Posted By: Jessica Kwong (Email) | November 19 2010 at 09:18 AM

www.sfgate.com

The three were arrested in San Francisco on Sept. 15 because they were allowed to stay in the United States only through 2002. Li's parents were released and wear electronic ankle bracelets as they await deportation to China, but their son was sent to a detention center in Florence, Ariz., on Oct. 8.

In the last month, students across California and Facebook users have written letters, called and rallied to ask Feinstein, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to intervene.

So here it is 2010, eight years after these scofflaws should have left this country and they're still here! Of course Feinstein, who has never met an illegal invader she hasn't fallen in love with, introduces a bill to keep this invader in this country.

Now you know why California is broke and illegal immigration is only getting worse. We cannot even get deported those who are caught without some politician intervening on their behalf.

I wonder if the Constitution really allows politicians to pass these type of bills in the first place. It seems to be a power not granted to the Federal government by the states.