Thread: The All-American illegal alien

The All-American illegal alien
By Dan Moffett

Palm Beach Post Editorial Writer

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Like most of the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants, Pedro Zapeta lived a life the Americans around him barely noticed.

He would have left the country without leaving a mark, just one more anonymous alien, had the U.S. government not taken his life savings. Now, Americans are noticing Pedro Zapeta.

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More than 100 people from nine states have sent him contributions - checks, cash, single dollars - as reimbursements for the $49,000 the government wants to confiscate. The contributions, which now total more than $8,000, often come with handwritten notes of encouragement.

"Hello, Bud," writes Bill of West Palm Beach. "This is not much, but I felt so bad about the way the judge treated you and your money that a little bit is better than nothing."

In January, U.S. District Judge James Cohn ruled that Mr. Zapeta had to surrender all but $10,000 of the $59,000 he tried to carry on an airplane in Fort Lauderdale because he didn't sign a declaration form. For Mr. Zapeta, it was the savings from 10 years' work at Stuart restaurants.

"I thought just after the decision I would ask about 50 or 60 thousand folks to send in a buck a piece," said a note with a contribution from Brooks Reese of West Palm Beach, "but I didn't know how to get it started."

Mr. Zapeta had intended to use the first flight of his life to return to Guatemala two years ago and start a business with his family. The 39-year-old Mayan, whose native language is Quiche, had no idea that federal law required him to declare cash amounts over $10,000. Customs agents found the money in his duffel bag, and now the government wants to deport him without it.

"How many of us who are U.S. citizens would have known we couldn't take more than $10,000 with us on a plane trip out of the country?" wrote Janet Fonk of West Palm Beach. "Do we all read every line in the documents we sign when traveling, even when we can speak English?"

Mr. Zapeta's attorney, Robert Gershman, is appealing Judge Cohn's ruling and hopes to keep his client from being deported long enough to help make his case. "It is unconscionable," Mr. Gershman says, "for the government to keep that money."

A strange sort of celebrity has descended on Mr. Zapeta. His story has been told on CNN, Univision and Telemundo. People have been Googling "Pedro Zapeta," surely the most famous Guatemalan dishwasher in the hemisphere.

"We let drug dealers and bank robbers off with far less penalties," wrote another contributor. "I was outraged when I read the story."

There is no guiding precedent - no rule of thumb - for the penalty Mr. Zapeta should pay for his oversight. Mr. Gershman has argued with the government for months that his client should pay a reasonable fine, not surrender nearly all the money.

"We value this hard-working individual who exemplifies all that is good in mankind," said a note from Mary and John. "We enclosed a small check - $20."

While Congress searches for a formula to make comprehensive immigration reform politically palatable, Mr. Zapeta provides the living example for the type of guest worker President Bush is proposing: He took a job no American wanted, worked hard, paid taxes, stayed out of trouble and then bought his own plane ticket home.

It is a most ironic injustice that the government that ignored him and the country that benefited from his hard work decided to notice Mr. Zapeta and pull out of the deal as he was self-deporting.

"As Americans, we have many opportunities for self-employment and entrepreneurial endeavors," wrote Kenneth Duvall, owner of Duvall's Towing Service in Lake Worth. "We should understand and applaud Mr. Zapeta's drive and determination. I challenge other small business owners like me who have been successful to share some of the fruits of our labor with Mr. Zapeta."

Mr. Gershman has set up a trust account through his office to hold contributions to the dishwasher. They may not replace all his savings, but the notes stuffed in the envelopes are priceless.

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Hey, I feel sorry for Pedro, but the bottom line is, he had no business in this country.

Look at it as a very steep fine for breaking the laws of our nation!!

There is simply NO expectation of accountability anymore."Law?!...so what! He shouldn't have to obey the law!" That is pretty much what they are saying.

why do pc'ers have such a problem with 'illegal is illegal'? to them these criminals are elevated above us and our kids, as seen in them thinking it's ok to reward these criminals with OUR hard earned tax dollars.