Thread: Undocumented student's arrest called 'civil rights disaster'

Undocumented student's arrest called part of 'civil rights disaster'

By Jessica Ravitz, CNN
May 14, 2010 6:22 p.m. EDT

Jessica Colotl, a university student in Georgia, has become a face of the immigration debate.

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Staring at the throngs of media representatives who came out to hear and see her Friday, Jessica Colotl took another step into the fight for her future.

The undocumented student from Mexico whose case has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate had been released on $2,500 bond just a couple hours earlier. The 21-year-old student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia surrendered Friday morning to authorities in response to a warrant for her arrest issued Wednesday night by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.

Standing nervously before the crowd, Colotl fought back tears when people cheered for her. The media bombarded her with questions as she tried to give voice to her struggle.

Just a week earlier, she'd been released from a deportation facility in Alabama after being stopped in March for a minor traffic violation.

"If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again," she said. "I'm hoping for the best."

The sheriff's office said she gave a false address when stopped for that violation, a felony charge that her attorney denies.

A spotlight has been trained on Arizona since Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that requires law enforcement officials to seek proof of legal U.S. residency from anyone whom they have stopped on suspicion of having violated the law.

But advocates working with Colotl point out that a little-understood program already gives local authorities in many states the latitude to act as immigration officials -- a right that is often abused, they say.

"The future of Arizona already exists in Cobb County and Gwinnett County [also in Georgia]," said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

Near him were other Colotl supporters, some holding signs reading "Education not deportation."

Under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program, state and local law enforcement can partner with the federal agency to gain some immigration enforcement authority in their own jurisdictions. If they conclude that someone is in the country illegally, they can turn that person over to ICE. Last year, a change to the partnership program prioritized the detention and arrest of those who have allegedly committed crimes.

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is one of 71 law enforcement agencies in 26 states that have entered into this partnership program, according to the ICE website.

Labeling the program a "civil rights disaster," Mary Bauer, legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it "leads to racial profiling, distracts police from looking for real criminals and destroys families."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia called Friday for an end to the program.

"Jessica's case is yet another outrageous example of the unaccountable local enforcement of immigration laws in Cobb County gone awry," said Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia's national security/immigrants' rights project director.

Colotl's legal problems started in late March when her car was stopped on the Kennesaw State campus. Born in Mexico but living in the United States since she was 11, she could not produce a driver's license, so she handed over as identification an expired passport from Mexico.

She was arrested the next day and turned over to immigration officials. She spent more than a month in the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama.

Friends came out in force and marched on campus in her defense. Earlier this month, she was released, and her deportation was deferred for a year, which will allow her to finish her studies. She hasn't returned to classes yet, but looks forward to earning her degree.

"I'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education," she said.

Calling Colotl "a symbol of what's wrong with the immigration system," immigration attorney Charles Kuck thanked ICE for allowing his client to stay in the country for a year to finish her studies. He then set out to educate people about the challenges facing Colotl, providing a reason why she did not have a license.

"Jessica can't start the process to become a U.S. citizen because she's not allowed to," he said. "If Jessica could obtain a license, she would have."

In a statement Wednesday night, Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren said, "Ms. Colotl knew that she was in the United States without authority to be here and voluntarily chose to operate a vehicle without a driver's license, which is a violation of Georgia law. She has further complicated her situation with her blatant disregard for Georgia law by giving false information."

As for the use of the ICE program, he said, "I value any tool that helps me enforce the law and remove violators from our community."

But the band of lawyers and advocates who rallied around Colotl say Cobb County is abusing its power. In a joint statement Thursday night, they voiced outrage over Colotl's treatment and suggested that the felony charge is trumped-up.

"It is obvious from all the documents that I've seen that she has done nothing wrong and has given her proper address to Cobb County and immigration officials," said Chris Taylor, Colotl's criminal attorney. "There has been no crime committed."

The car's registration simply reflected her old address, Taylor said in an interview, and she provided her new address when she was taken into custody. Taylor said he has the documents to prove this and looks forward to clearing her name.

In front of the crowd that gathered Friday, he said of his client, "She has not failed us. We have failed her. The system has failed her."

The Cobb Immigrant Alliance likened the actions of officials to "schoolyard bullying." Gonzalez, of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, called the sheriff "Wild-West Warren," saying he "has abused his authority in this case. His actions clearly demonstrate the problems that occur when local law officers are granted authority to enforce immigration laws."

"Sheriff Warren has embarked on a witch hunt, wasting money and county resources for political gain," said Adelina Nicholls of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. "This is not about public safety."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/14/georgi ... gletoolbar

Who is funding her schooling?

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/23551052/detail.html
I preceived this to this to be a challenge for her....and her FREE attorney's. "Jessica may not have the documents that show that she's an American citizen, but she's an American," Taylor said. "She's an American in her heart because she believes in the values of this country."

Yes, in her heart. That is why she continued to break the law as she obtains her Political Science degree. The law that we as Americans are expected to obey and are jailed when committing a felony. What kind of a lawyer is she going to make and how is she going to pass the Bar Exam as an Illegal?

NO AMNESTY FOR THE 30 MILLION ILLEGALS

This illegal, la raza invader is nothing but a liar and will say or do anything to prevent being deported! Those rallying to her defense are also willing to lie and distort the truth by whatever means necessary in order to prevent this invader from being deported!

She and her supporters then have the gall to insinuate the police are lying when they claim she did not give them a false address when asked by police officers! She’s shown a complete disregard for this nation and its laws, and yet, she expects us to believe the police are the lying, while she remains the innocent victim!

Get this illegal invader the hell out of this country!!

This women has only her ILLEGAL parents to blame, they knew what they were doing when they broke our laws by entering the United States as ILLEGALS with their ILLEGAL child! Once the ILLEGALS arrive in the United States with their ILLEGAL "children" they most likely continue their invasion of the United States with the ABUSE of the 14th Amendment to create Anchors and more ILLEGALS for United States Citizens to furnish benefits!

How about "some compassion" concerning the resources stolen by the ILLEGALS to educate their ILLEGAL children and Anchors that could have been utilized by the LEGAL children of United States Citizens. The Blanket Amnesty of the 80's is the main reason today's ILLEGALS expect and DEMAND another BLANKET AMNESTY and if it is granted the ILLEGALS will continue to come to steal our resources and DEMANDING another BLANKET AMNESTY.

I feel bad for her, It sucks that someone trying to better themselves and not drain society completely has to go home and start over.

BUT that is never an excuse for walking over every legal immigrant, and citizen to take what she wants!!!!DEPORT HER NOW!!

Its not fair to America and Americans that these people put ALL OF US in a defensive position over doing what we know is right according to OUR LAWS!!!!

Is their any depths that the globalist, elites, racist human shield using scumbags wont sink to?

They all cry and demand rewards for thieves, and criminals yet I don't see any of them with the door of their own homes open to anyone that wants to come and go and use up their crap as they please, in the name of false rights and sob stories!!! Hypocrite doesn't even begin to do justice of these slugs!

Thanks, I didn't notice the below Poll in the Polling section.

What do you think should happen next in the Jessica Colotl case?

Choice Votes Percentage of 1593 Votes

She should be allowed to finish school, then deported. 100 6%
She should be allowed to finish school and stay. 279 18%
She should be deported immediately. 1214 76%


http://www.wsbtv.com/news/23551052/detail.html

"She's an American in her heart because she believes in the values of this country."

If this was true she would leave the USA and apply to enter legally from Mexico like so many others have done. If she truly believed in our values that's what she would do.

No, she just wants to scam and steal from Americans.

VOTE

She should be allowed to finish school, then deported.

She should be allowed to finish school and stay.

She should be deported immediately.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/23551052/detail.html

What do you think should happen next in the Jessica Colotl case?


Percentage of 1687 Votes
She should be allowed to finish school, then deported. 109 6%

She should be allowed to finish school and stay. 285 17%

She should be deported immediately. 1293 77%