Thread: Immigration activists rally from O.C. to D.C.

Published: Nov. 17, 2010
Updated: 3:05 p.m.

Immigration activists rally from O.C. to D.C.

BY CINDY CARCAMO
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERStory Highlights

Article Photos Videos

The movement for immigration reform gained momentum this week as young immigration activists staged sit-ins and press conferences – from Santa Ana to the nation's capital – to tout the possibility of action during the lame duck session of Congress.
Twitters and faxes were in full gear Wednesday to support and oppose the Development, Relief and Education for Minor Aliens Act, a bill that would give some students who are in the country illegally a pathway to U.S. citizenship.

Noemi, 27 from Garden Grove, in the U.S. since age of 5 “ Aspires to serve as a teacher.The DREAM Act has been in the works for about a decade and has met opposition by anti-illegal immigration groups, such as NumbersUSA.com and defeat in the past at the hands of Congress.
Sen. Harry Reid announced Wednesday afternoon that he will introduce the DREAM Act as as stand-alone bill during the lame duck session, according a tweet sent out by Reid.

"This is their last-ditch effort," said NumbersUSA.com leader Roy Beck. "All those tens of millions of dollars in the pro-amnesty war chest ... they are being spent in any way possible during the lame duck. This is their last chance."
The aggressive push to pass this contentious bill prompted two Orange County students who are in the country illegally to stage a sit-in earlier Wednesday at Sen. John McCain's Washington, D.C. office. A press conference is scheduled at 6 p.m. at a Santa Ana park where Dream Act supporters plan to speak out.
After years of obstacles, California Dream Network organizer Maria Rodriguez said she believes things may change.
"I think the biggest difference is that in this election we are seeing the importance of the Latino electorate,'' she said. "Democrats in the Senate are in power because the Latino vote came through in Colorado, California, Washington. Congress got a reminder in the 2010 election that they need to listen to Latino issues."
Anti-illegal immigration activists, such as NumbersUSA.com, e-mailed national alerts to their members, who in turn flooded legislators with calls and 250,000 faxes.
"We are reminding the defeated members of Congress, as well as the retiring members of Congress that if they ever hope to run for public office again and ... ram this amnesty through, that's going to stick with them forever," Beck said.
At the noon sit-in, Jorge Gutierrez of Santa Ana made his case at McCain's office.
"I am queer, I am undocumented and I am unafraid," the 26-year-old said. "We're here to ask Senator McCain to continue to support the Dream Act as he has done it before and to remind him of his great leadership that he led with a few years ago."
McCain's office did not return a call for comment.
Gutierrez, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from California State University, Fullerton two years ago, said he'd like to continue on to graduate school but would ultimately like to put what he's learned into practice and to serve his community.
Gutierrez, who came to this country when he was 10, is one of five main characters in a documentary film called "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth."
"We love this country enough to put ourselves at risk of being arrested," he said.
Gutierrez was joined by Noemi, a 27-year-old who was brought to this country illegally when she was 5 years old and now lives in Garden Grove.
"I don't blame my mom. My mom was just looking to have a better life for me and my brother," she said. "My mom is a single mom and she learned how to speak English and had never held a job before. She worked two jobs to put me through college."
Noemi, who only gave her first name out of fear of retribution, graduated with a degree in liberal studies from Cal Sate Fullerton. She said she'd like to get a graduate degree in Women's Studies.
The bill would allow students who are in the country illegally and who have finished at least two years of college or military service to apply for legal status. The bill would also protect them from deportation and make them eligible for student loans and federal work study programs.
Students would need to have lived here at least five years before the bill were enacted into law and have arrived before they were 16. Applicants would also need to be younger than 36.
Still, the bill's opponents call it a provisional amnesty, stating that it's flawed and contains major loopholes.
Beck said the bill doesn't have enough safeguards to keep applicants from lying about when they first came to this country.
"You'll have millions of people who will come forward to try to claim it," he said.
In addition, Beck said, the bill would encourage chain-migration, in which students would eventually be able to sponsor parents who are in the country illegally for U.S. citizenship.
He acknowledged that it's not an automatic process and that applicants would have to wait to gain legal status first and then wait five years before they would be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. Only then would they be able to petition for a parent, which is a lengthy process in itself.
Rodriguez called Beck's claims "weak arguments." She said there's plenty of oversight to take care of false claims.
"It's very clear, you have to come here before you were 16-year-olds, graduated from high school, been here 5 years continuously before the legislation passes and be of good moral character. Within each guideline, you have to prove everything," she said. "No one is going to make up a yearbook and transcripts. Nobody is going to make up good moral character if they came across the law and the police. It will be in the record."
Beck said there are some compelling cases.
"There are definitely some students brought over as young kids and graduated from high school ... and they really don't have a country to go home to," he said.
Still, he said he would only support a bill if it were limited to those specific cases, paired with mandatory E-verify and do away with chain migration.
"But here's the thing all these people nonetheless will get work permits that will disadvantage American people who are unemployed now. Even if amnesty is deserved there is still harm to it."
Noemi said she doesn't believe she's taking anybody else's spot.
"Nobody is better than anybody," she said." I think everybody deserves equal opportunity to follow their dreams and be educated."

Contact the writer: 714-796-7924 or ccarcamo@ocregister.com or
www.twitter.com/thecindycarcamo

http://www.ocregister.com/news/bill-276 ... years.html

NO DREAM ACT! NO AMNESTY!

"Congress got a reminder in the 2010 election that they need to listen to Latino issues."


They better LISTEN and wake up

These "latinos" are only interested in taking over and getting all the free bennys they can from honest Americans.

Its time for the boot to the curb with these idiots

We are Americans , SCREW LATINOS , they can come legally , not a problem , but these illegals making demands need to get get kicked to the curb and kicked out asap.

Americans will never accept this invasion , no matter what the end result comes to , they will never win and if they want to go to the next level


BRING IT

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Published: Nov. 17, 2010
Updated: 3:05 p.m.

Immigration activists rally from O.C. to D.C.

BY CINDY CARCAMO
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERStory Highlights

Article Photos Videos

The movement for immigration reform gained momentum this week as young immigration activists staged sit-ins and press conferences – from Santa Ana to the nation's capital – to tout the possibility of action during the lame duck session of Congress.
Twitters and faxes were in full gear Wednesday to support and oppose the Development, Relief and Education for Minor Aliens Act, a bill that would give some students who are in the country illegally a pathway to U.S. citizenship.

Noemi, 27 from Garden Grove, in the U.S. since age of 5 “ Aspires to serve as a teacher.The DREAM Act has been in the works for about a decade and has met opposition by anti-illegal immigration groups, such as NumbersUSA.com and defeat in the past at the hands of Congress.
Sen. Harry Reid announced Wednesday afternoon that he will introduce the DREAM Act as as stand-alone bill during the lame duck session, according a tweet sent out by Reid.

"This is their last-ditch effort," said NumbersUSA.com leader Roy Beck. "All those tens of millions of dollars in the pro-amnesty war chest ... they are being spent in any way possible during the lame duck. This is their last chance."
The aggressive push to pass this contentious bill prompted two Orange County students who are in the country illegally to stage a sit-in earlier Wednesday at Sen. John McCain's Washington, D.C. office. A press conference is scheduled at 6 p.m. at a Santa Ana park where Dream Act supporters plan to speak out.
After years of obstacles, California Dream Network organizer Maria Rodriguez said she believes things may change.
"I think the biggest difference is that in this election we are seeing the importance of the Latino electorate,'' she said. "Democrats in the Senate are in power because the Latino vote came through in Colorado, California, Washington. Congress got a reminder in the 2010 election that they need to listen to Latino issues."
Anti-illegal immigration activists, such as NumbersUSA.com, e-mailed national alerts to their members, who in turn flooded legislators with calls and 250,000 faxes.
"We are reminding the defeated members of Congress, as well as the retiring members of Congress that if they ever hope to run for public office again and ... ram this amnesty through, that's going to stick with them forever," Beck said.
At the noon sit-in, Jorge Gutierrez of Santa Ana made his case at McCain's office.
"I am queer, I am undocumented and I am unafraid," the 26-year-old said. "We're here to ask Senator McCain to continue to support the Dream Act as he has done it before and to remind him of his great leadership that he led with a few years ago."
McCain's office did not return a call for comment.
Gutierrez, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from California State University, Fullerton two years ago, said he'd like to continue on to graduate school but would ultimately like to put what he's learned into practice and to serve his community.
Gutierrez, who came to this country when he was 10, is one of five main characters in a documentary film called "Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth."
"We love this country enough to put ourselves at risk of being arrested," he said.
Gutierrez was joined by Noemi, a 27-year-old who was brought to this country illegally when she was 5 years old and now lives in Garden Grove.
"I don't blame my mom. My mom was just looking to have a better life for me and my brother," she said. "My mom is a single mom and she learned how to speak English and had never held a job before. She worked two jobs to put me through college."
Noemi, who only gave her first name out of fear of retribution, graduated with a degree in liberal studies from Cal Sate Fullerton. She said she'd like to get a graduate degree in Women's Studies.
The bill would allow students who are in the country illegally and who have finished at least two years of college or military service to apply for legal status. The bill would also protect them from deportation and make them eligible for student loans and federal work study programs.
Students would need to have lived here at least five years before the bill were enacted into law and have arrived before they were 16. Applicants would also need to be younger than 36.
Still, the bill's opponents call it a provisional amnesty, stating that it's flawed and contains major loopholes.
Beck said the bill doesn't have enough safeguards to keep applicants from lying about when they first came to this country.
"You'll have millions of people who will come forward to try to claim it," he said.
In addition, Beck said, the bill would encourage chain-migration, in which students would eventually be able to sponsor parents who are in the country illegally for U.S. citizenship.
He acknowledged that it's not an automatic process and that applicants would have to wait to gain legal status first and then wait five years before they would be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. Only then would they be able to petition for a parent, which is a lengthy process in itself.
Rodriguez called Beck's claims "weak arguments." She said there's plenty of oversight to take care of false claims.
"It's very clear, you have to come here before you were 16-year-olds, graduated from high school, been here 5 years continuously before the legislation passes and be of good moral character. Within each guideline, you have to prove everything," she said. "No one is going to make up a yearbook and transcripts. Nobody is going to make up good moral character if they came across the law and the police. It will be in the record."
Beck said there are some compelling cases.
"There are definitely some students brought over as young kids and graduated from high school ... and they really don't have a country to go home to," he said.
Still, he said he would only support a bill if it were limited to those specific cases, paired with mandatory E-verify and do away with chain migration.
"But here's the thing all these people nonetheless will get work permits that will disadvantage American people who are unemployed now. Even if amnesty is deserved there is still harm to it."
Noemi said she doesn't believe she's taking anybody else's spot.
"Nobody is better than anybody," she said." I think everybody deserves equal opportunity to follow their dreams and be educated."

Contact the writer: 714-796-7924 or ccarcamo@ocregister.com or
www.twitter.com/thecindycarcamo

http://www.ocregister.com/news/bill-276 ... years.html

I don't think so Reid
this is Our country & don't you for get we will fight Hear the voice of American I don't care How long you have been in this country . you show me your Birth Ccertificatie & your mother & your father . to see if you are illegal immigrant .
as for the Kids get free ride In college & our Kids Have to pay I don't think so you & Obama don't care about the Illegal immigrant . or that napalitano you just want the vote you don;t care about them at all . or us . my grand Son is going to college .& he has to pay & the illegal Immigrant get free ride . I don't think so then all the kids should fight what right is right * we want our Country back )
Thank you ALIPAC for the news

Rodriguez called Beck's claims "weak arguments." She said there's plenty of oversight to take care of false claims

The question here isn't if there are other oversight to make sure everything is on the up and up. The problem is THEY ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED. Just as our past AMNESTIES,there were hundreds of thousands,IF NOT MILLIONS,claiming Amnesty due to other family members RECIEVING IT! Hence we ended up with FIVE AMNESTIES over the years.

NOPE! NO MORE! SEND"EM HOME!