American boy, 7, fighting for mom: "End the deportations"

[almaty 19]

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- Mexico's Congress was swayed Tuesday by a 7-year-old boy on a mission to save his mom.

Second-grader Saul Arellano, a U.S. citizen, appeared in Mexico's 500-member Chamber of Deputies to plead for help in lobbying Washington to halt the deportation of his mother, an illegal immigrant who has taken refuge in a Chicago church.

He took the microphone and spoke to reporters in Spanish, describing what he wanted from Mexico's lawmakers.

"I want them to tell President Bush to end the deportations so that my mother and other families can stay together in the United States," he said.

Mexico's lawmakers answered his plea with a resolution calling on the Bush administration to suspend the deportation of Elvira Arellano and any other illegal immigrant parents of U.S. citizens.

If the American government agrees, it would "create a precedent that will benefit more than 4.9 million children who have been born in the United States and whose parents live under the threat of deportation," said Mexican congressman Jose Jacques.

The lawmaker lived in America for 33 years and has an American daughter and granddaughter.

Cameras flashed and reporters swarmed around the boy as he entered the chamber.

But instead of stepping to the podium, he was swept into a side room, where he hid his face and ducked under a table.

"I think being so small he was kind of freaked," family friend Jesus Carlin said.

U.S. officials say there is no right to sanctuary in a church under U.S. law, and nothing to prevent them from arresting Elvira Arellano, who has lived at the church since August 15, the day she was supposed to surrender for deportation.

So far, they have not moved to seize her.

Arellano, 31, said she was nervous about sending her son to Mexico, and he was scared she would be deported while he was away.

"I told him to be calm, everything would be fine and I would be here waiting for him," she told The Associated Press in Chicago.

Mexico's President Vicente Fox, who leaves office December 1, failed during his six-year term to persuade the U.S. Congress to approve a migration accord allowing thousands of Mexicans to work legally in the United States.

While Bush personally supports a temporary guest-worker program, Republicans in Congress opted to strengthen border security instead.

Arellano said she should not have to choose between leaving her son or taking away his rightful opportunities as an American.

But conservative columnists and anti-illegal immigration activists say Arellano put herself and her son in this difficult spot by repeatedly breaking the law.

Arellano illegally crossed into the United States in 1997 and was quickly sent back. She returned within days, living for three years in Oregon before moving to Chicago in 2000.

Her current troubles began when she was arrested at O'Hare International Airport, where she worked as a cleaning woman. Convicted of working under a false Social Security number, she served three years probation before being ordered to appear at the immigration office in Chicago.

Fox's spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, acknowledges that Arellano broke U.S. law, but "we think there exist certain elements of a humanitarian nature that should be taken into account to avoid splitting up the family."

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Illegal immigrants are people with families. We should never prosecute crimes if the criminal are people with families. Only crimes commited by non-human entities or by human beings of alien DNA (i.e. no human family) should be prosecuted.

[almaty 19]

Illegal immigrants are people with families. We should never prosecute crimes if the criminal are people with families. Only crimes commited by non-human entities or by human beings of alien DNA (i.e. no human family) should be prosecuted.

yeah, that the new democrat proposal on crime in america

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

sad situation. no easy answers.

Daniel

:energetic:

[dawnnhatem 0]

whats sad is how the kid is being used by these lobbyist groups as a posterboy for their cause...he should have been in school today and after school out playing with his friends....but none of that this year because he is grounded at the church until illegals get amnesty, and his mom, who wants nothing but the best for him is allowing that. Anybody else bothered by the irony in his being in Mexico without her? Her quest for amnesty is on the pretense that he needs her here. Its crazy.

[peejay 327]

The Mexican government should give the woman a job and welfare payments so she can support her kid in Mexico instead of blaming the USA for all their problems. They sure don't have any problem encouraging their people to go north (leaving their families behind) so they can send cash back to Mexico.

In the end...it ain't up to Mexico to set US policy.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

They sure don't have any problem encouraging their people to go north (leaving their families behind) so they can send cash back to Mexico.

Good point. I don't think it's a choice that they so openly choose though.

[sercontigo 1]

The Mexican government should give the woman a job and welfare payments so she can support her kid in Mexico instead of blaming the USA for all their problems. They sure don't have any problem encouraging their people to go north (leaving their families behind) so they can send cash back to Mexico.

In the end...it ain't up to Mexico to set US policy.

VERY PROFOUND STATEMENT AND ULTRA-CORRECT!

AND AS A SIDE NOTE, I BELIEVE WE ARE ALL ON HERE BRINGING OUR FIANCE'S HERE THE RIGHT WAY...LEGALLY.

[Heracles 417]

The Mexincanization of the US... I think the US should make a deal with Mexico. If they accept the 12 million law breakers, then Mexico in return should give the US some land in return. Like the toothpick part of their country on the west coast of Mexico.. I am sure Mexico understands the barter system...

Edited November 15, 2006 by Infidel

[MrMrsKnight 0]

It's a sad situation. I hope they can find a solution that won't affect the little boy in a very bad way.

But... I can think of one member of this forum that had a baby and it took the father, non-usc, over one year to finally meet his son. We don't see any of that on tv.

[kitkat1 5]

It's a sad situation. I hope they can find a solution that won't affect the little boy in a very bad way.

But... I can think of one member of this forum that had a baby and it took the father, non-usc, over one year to finally meet his son. We don't see any of that on tv.

You're right that we don't see much about that kind of situation - and it's sad when the law separates families. But at least in the case you mentioned, the father went through the appropriate steps to get legal and to come back to the country, legally.

In this case, this woman had already been deported and came back illegally. As dawnnnhatem said, whats sad is how the kid is being used by these lobbyist groups and by his mother a posterboy - her quest for amnesty is on the pretense that he needs her here but he's alone in Mexico right now. It's not like she's married to a USC or the father is a USC and they are trying to make things right. I'm really bothered by the whole thing.

[pedroh 21]

The Mexincanization of the US... I think the US should make a deal with Mexico. If they accept the 12 million law breakers, then Mexico in return should give the US some land in return. Like the toothpick part of their country on the west coast of Mexico.. I am sure Mexico understands the barter system...

i think USA already stole that part of Mexico.. I guess the illegals are now to be sent.. US got their half part of the deal first..

[ardilla 0]

I know we are on this forum because we are working to make sure that our spouses/family members get through the formal immigration maze so that we can live together in the U.S.

There are some of us who also support the right of all people (immigrants too, documented or undocumented) to a fair system that rewards people for working and contributing to society.

Deporting the 12 million undocumented is not the answer to our broken system. Breaking up families is not, either.

NAFTA, CAFTA, and other global trade systems have led to the collapse of agricultural economies around the world, the mass migration of people from the collapsed economies move to work for low wages elsewhere, and thus the problem of "illegal" immigration arises. We don't need to contribute to the problem by attacking the people who are just trying to earn a living.

Some of the people on this board have either been undocumented themselves and have an opportunity to adjust their status, get a visa, etc. Others may have family members who are undocumented.

PS - the U.S. government frequently offers opinion (some of it quite arrogant) on other countries' policies -- but we don't see much of that on U.S. TV, either.

[kitkat1 5]

There are some of us who also support the right of all people (immigrants too, documented or undocumented) to a fair system that rewards people for working and contributing to society.

Deporting the 12 million undocumented is not the answer to our broken system. Breaking up families is not, either.

Agreed. But in this case, she claims she has the right to stay in the US just because her son was born here. There are a million people in her identical situation but she wants special treatment. In her case, no family will be broken up - she and her son will return to Mexico.

[Heracles 417]

NAFTA, CAFTA, and other global trade systems have led to the collapse of agricultural economies around the world, the mass migration of people from the collapsed economies move to work for low wages elsewhere, and thus the problem of "illegal" immigration arises. We don't need to contribute to the problem by attacking the people who are just trying to earn a living.

Some of the people on this board have either been undocumented themselves and have an opportunity to adjust their status, get a visa, etc. Others may have family members who are undocumented.

Why has free-trade failed?

Mexico is one of the largest economies in the world.. Actually in 2005 they where ranked 10th in the world..

What it looks like is Mexico sending their poor to be dealt with by the US tax payer. Pretty smart tactic to use. The irony is that the US is made to look like the bad guy here.. This way the US taxpayer has to waste their money on them..

Edited November 15, 2006 by Infidel