Thread: Teen Deserves Chance To Avoid Deportation Reading Grad Arres

Friends: Teen Deserves Chance To Avoid Deportation
Reading Grad Arrested After Minor Traffic Accident

CINCINNATI -- The community is coming together for an area high school graduate who's facing deportation after a traffic stop.

Friends said 18-year-old Bernard Pastor is a model student and deserves to stay in this country, where he's lived illegally for 15 years.

The Reading High School graduate came to the U.S. from Guatemala as a child with his parents, and authorities said Pastor is here illegally.

"This kid came to the U.S. when he was 3 years old," said Alfonso Cornejo, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "He didn't drive here, he didn't jump -- he just came following his family."

Pastor was arrested Saturday when he was unable to produce a driver's license after a minor accident, but plans to deport him have been placed on hold after Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Steve Driehaus appealed to federal authorities on his behalf.

"This is a human rights issue," said Jason Riveiro, Ohio director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "At the end of the day, this is cruelty at its finest."

Friends held a vigil Tuesday evening to show their support for Pastor, who was selected homecoming king and dreamed of going to a seminary and serving as a minister.

Riveiro said Pastor's case could help win support for the Dream Act, a piece of proposed federal legislation that would afford some illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency under certain conditions.

"It comes at an interesting time when we are discussing the Dream Act because so many other students in similar situations that could be effected by this type of law," Rieveiro said.

Supporters plan to visit Pastor this weekend in jail in Morrow County, and a court hearing is planned on the deportation process.

Pastor said his father, a Pentecostal minister, told him Tuesday to continue to trust that what is happening to him is part of God's plan.

"He said that maybe I was to be someone whose life could help other people in the future who are in the same situation," Pastor said.

Despite the delay, the deportation order remains in place.

"It doesn't negate the order," Khaalid Walls, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said. "It's a delay, not a stay."

http://www (.)wlwt.com/news/25913346/detail.html

His Dad is a preacher, what's wrong with this story. Using God to line his pockets.

Sorry, the kid doesn't deserve special treatment. How about families waiting in their own country to be accepted into the US LEGALLY, what about their hopes and dreams of going to a seminary? In my own mind the preacher/pastor/reverand/priest I would want to follow was the one who waited to come legally, not one who broke the law their entire life only to become "sanctified" when arrested!

This kid was just low hanging fruit. The gang bangers that are drug dealers and human trafficers a are still driving around. JMO

He could go to Seminary in Mexico, it would give a well rounded and international education.

He and hs illegal alien parents all need to be deported now. How can an illegal alien become a Pentecostal minister? Don't they need a license and proof of citizenship to be a "minister"?

Get them out, get them all out, no child or parents left behind.

Hey I broke the law but I'm a excellent student so I should get a free pass. NOT!!!

Another sob story ("Tears fell from her eyes.") about the same ILLEGAL from another Cincinnati news article. Seems there is an organized effort in submitting PRO-ILLEGAL comments to the comment section of the article.


Bernard Pastor's friends visit possible deportee in jail
Caravan makes 300-mile round trip in support of Reading High grad
By Mark Curnutte • mcurnutte@enquirer.com • November 27, 2010

Comments (44) Recommend (4) Print this page ShareThis Font size:AA MOUNT GILEAD – Paige Sales, wearing a white T-shirt on which she had written “Free Bernardâ€

18 years old is an adult, not a kid.

Dixie

I don't believe the DHS has any intention of deporting Pastor. I think they are complicit in using his sob story to try and pass the Dream Act. When the Dream Act fails they will release him on humanitarian grounds. imo

another story
don't want to hear it No Amnesty & your Parents should have come the right way Ellis island just like everyone did . Im so sick of you Illegal Immgrant you all want everything . All of the American Have story also . you Murder & rap. you name it you did you have Dr lic not in your name at all . should I go on I could write a book I have Mexcio right out side my door. it the same as Az so Let clean it up .& all the college should close down . they also don't care about the kids . no Amnesty or no citizen to baby & all the Illegal Immigrant that came Over Not only the Mexico allof the Other country also you are not a USA citizen at all show Us your Paper

StrangeRanger you are correct! The DREAM Act pushes IN-State tuition for ILLEGALS who now replace innocent American students in the limited seats in college at a time when over 10% of Americans are out of work and their families are struggling to train for new jobs and pay for college. Why would you support in-state tuition for the ILLEGALS that will attract more ILLEGALS to America and train ILLEGALS for jobs it is illegal for them to have. These students should go back to their HOME countries and stop draining our resources that could be used to assist United States Citizens and not the ILLEGALS! Just follow the money! The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Political Contributors want to continue to have United States Citizens pay the benefits for their ILLEGALS while they continue to have their BOTTOM LINES increased at the taxpayer's expense!

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2010 ... ard-Pastor