U.S. eases stance on deporting immigrants

As administration amends deportation policy, critics call it back-door amnesty for those here illegally.


FROM THE PRINT EDITION:

By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Aug. 19, 2011

Protesters say thousands
deported each year. GETTY

The Obama administration announced Thursday it plans to focus its deportation efforts on more dangerous illegal immigrants, a move that gives undocumented Charlotte students like Elver Barrios hope.

As part of the policy change, the Department of Homeland Security intends to review the cases of approximately 300,000 illegal immigrants facing deportation orders.

Those without criminal records who are found to be a low priority because they are students, were brought here as children, or have long family ties to the country could be released and granted a work permit.

If Barrios were ever to be arrested, he believes this policy change could allow him to stay in the country he's lived in since he was 14.

"This could be my chance to stay here," said Barrios, 20, who graduated from West Mecklenburg High School and is originally from Guatemala. "Every day I go out, even when I go buy the groceries, I risk getting arrested."

The policy change comes at a time when President Barack Obama has come under fire from some of his greatest allies.

Latino advocates have grown increasingly frustrated with the president. Obama has promised to reform the nation's immigration laws, yet advocates say his administration has continued to allow thousands to be deported annually after being arrested for minor offenses.

The Department of Homeland Security must focus its resources on removing those who have been convicted of major crimes and are threats to national security or public safety, said Secretary Janet Napolitano.

"Doing otherwise hinders our public safety mission - clogging immigration court dockets and diverting DHS enforcement resources away from the individuals who pose a threat to public safety," she wrote in a letter to a group of senators supporting new immigration legislation.

Critics charged the Obama administration with implementing a back-door amnesty policy.

Under the guise of setting priorities for immigration enforcement, the White House is overhauling the nation's immigration policy without congressional approval, said Dan Stein, president of FAIR, which advocates for greater immigration enforcement.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said having a backlog and prioritizing deportations is nothing new.

"This policy goes a step further granting illegal immigrants a fast track to gaining a work permit where they will now unfairly compete with more than nine percent of Americans who are still looking for jobs," he said in a statement.

In June, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it was encouraging agents to use "prosecutorial discretion" for undocumented immigrants who are seeking college degrees.

The authorities are now instructed to give "particular care and consideration" to individuals "present in the United States since childhood" and whether that person has a criminal record.

Erick Velazquillo

Erick Velazquillo, a 22-year-old Central Piedmont Community College student, was brought to the country illegally when he was 2 years old. He was placed into deportation proceedings last fall after he was arrested for driving without a valid driver's license.

Last month, just weeks before he was expecting to be deported, immigration officials dropped their deportation case.

But they didn't alter his status. With this policy change, Velazquillo is hopeful he can rest a little easier - and be able to get a work permit.

"It gives me a status that I've never had before," he said. "It will give me a work permit. It will help me to contribute more to the country than just being here. It would make things so much easier."

Lacey Williams, the youth civic engagement organizer at the Latin American Coalition, questioned how the policy will be implemented.

"At first blush it's great news, it certainly has great potential," she said. "What we're anxiously awaiting is how this announcement will trickle down. How will it affect people in deportation proceedings now? What will happen to them tomorrow, next week?"

Others said the administration is trying to dress up a problem rather than fix it.

Velazquillo and other undocumented students still will be living in the country illegally, said Domenic Powell, a spokesman for the Raleigh-based NC Dream Team, a group of students who advocate for undocumented youth.

"It's not a solution," he said. "There seems to be a benefit to it, but it's fleeting. They can work, but for how long? They need to find a permanent solution."

The Associated Press contributed.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/19/2537858/us-to-ease-rules-for-deporting.html#ixzz1VUTwDC5A

CPCC student's deportation dropped

(FROM THE PRINT EDITION)

CPCC student's deportation dropped: ICE officials end efforts to send undocumented CPCC student Erick Velazquillo back to Mexico, for now.

By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Saturday, Jul. 30, 2011


Erick Velazquillo, a 22-year-old Central Piedmont Community College student living in the country illegally, was working on translating all his school transcripts. He thought he was going to be deported back to Mexico.

Now immigration officials have dropped deportation efforts, his attorney confirmed Friday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed to administratively close his case, but it's not terminated. It could be reopened at any time.

"He's safe for right now," said attorney Janeen Hicks Pierre. "We're definitely out of the line of fire. ... No one is going to come to his house and arrest him. But where we go from here, we're not sure."

Hicks Pierre thanked ICE for offering to close the case, but noted Velazquillo's status is unchanged. He still has no documents and is unable to work legally.

The South Mecklenburg High School graduate moved to the United States with his parents when he was 2. He's never been back, he says.

Last October, Velazquillo was arrested for driving with an expired license and taken to Mecklenburg County jail. He was identified as an illegal immigrant and placed into deportation proceedings.

For help, he turned to a statewide group of young activists, many in the country illegally themselves. The Raleigh-based N.C. Dream Team launched a national campaign on his behalf. More than 1,000 calls and emails were made to federal officials on his behalf. Nearly 3,000 people signed a petition calling for his case to be deferred.

"We're happy. It's a victory," said 24-year-old member Domenic Powell, who grew up in Charlotte and graduated from Hopewell High. "It means more undocumented youth need to come out and fight their deportation. If you fight it, you can win."

The Obama administration has deported almost 800,000 people in the last two years.

ICE officials did not immediately respond to questions about Velazquillo's case. But this month, ICE Director John Morton announced the agency was encouraging agents to use "prosecutorial discretion" for illegal immigrants who are seeking college degrees.

Authorities are now instructed to give "particular care and consideration" to individuals "present in the United States since childhood."

The N.C. Dream Team cited the so-called Morton memo at rallies and had supporters call the director as well as their elected officials.

"Erick took his situation into his own hands," said member Viridiana Martinez, 25, of Sanford. "He took this public. There is power in that. All of a sudden it's something you can't ignore."

Hicks Pierre said she would continue to work with immigration officials to see if Velazquillo's status could be changed so that he could work and study without concern of reprisals.

Velazquillo and his family said they still fear he could be arrested and deported at anytime.

"It's not enough," said his sister, Angelica. "He still can't work. He was arrested and put in jail. We're going to pretend nothing happened? It doesn't seem realistic. It shows the problem with the policy. This is not good enough. This is not a solution."

Franco Ordoñez: 704-358-6180. Follow him on Twitter @FrancoOrdonez.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/30/2491179/students-deportation-dropped.html#ixzz1TyfqQnDz

CPCC student facing deportation will be honored at vigil

Latino advocates will be hosting a vigil at St. Peter's Catholic Church Friday night for young illegal immigrants like Erick Velazquillo, a 22-year-old Central  Piedmont  Community College student facing deportation.

Velazquillo, who graduated from South Mecklenburg High, was featured in a recent Observer story on young people like himself who are part of a national push by young people to the front of immigration reform.

Velazquillo was arrested in October. The charges: failing to dim his headlights and driving without a valid license. The group is asking for the public’s help to petition lawmakers to have Velazquillo’s case deferred. He says his last court hearing is on July 19, when an immigration judge will decided whether he should be deported. The group will also be calling for passage of "the Dream Act," a legal change that would make it easier for young people to become U.S. citizens if they attend college or join the military.

Opponents of the Dream Act say students like Velazquillo should be confronting their parents instead of making demands on the American people.

"Every illegal immigrant who gets into college here is going to displace a U.S. citizen because there are not enough seats," said Ron Woodard, head of NC Listen, which advocates for greater immigration enforcement. "The right thing to do is not disenfranchise an American citizen."

The vigil will begin at 6 p.m. at St. Peter's Church on South Tryon Street. For more information on the vigil, call 704-281-9911.

Photo: Angelica Velazquillo and her brother, Erick. In the U.S. since he was 2, he faces deportation for a traffic violation. Kevin Ziechmann - kziechmann@charlotteobserver.com

Immigrant hangs hopes on 'Dream Team' to stay

FROM PRINT EDITION

Immigrant hangs hopes on 'Dream Team' to stay Young activists back CPCC student's deportation appeal.

By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Jul. 01, 2011

A 22-year-old Central Piedmont Community College student facing deportation has placed his future in the hands of a group of his peers - also young, also here illegally.

Erick Velazquillo says they're his last hope to stay in the country that's been his home since he was 2.

Velazquillo, who graduated from South Mecklenburg High, was arrested in October. The charges: failing to dim his headlights and driving without a valid license. He is now in the process of being deported.

On July 19, he'll ask an immigration judge and federal prosecutors to not send him back to Mexico.

He said two Latino organizations and several lawyers advised him not to fight for fear he would receive greater immigration penalties.

Instead, he turned to a statewide group of young activists, known as the "N.C. Dream Team."

The Raleigh-based group, whose slogan is "Undocumented and Unafraid," thinks it can help. Velazquillo's case is their first Charlotte initiative.

Inspired by the Civil Rights movement, the Dream Team is part of a national push by young people to the front of immigration reform.

They've confronted legislators, launched hunger strikes, and even announced their illegal status to draw attention to their demands.

They are calling for passage of "the Dream Act," a legal change that would make it easier for young people to become U.S. citizens if they attend college or join the military.

And they say they are fed up with established Latino advocates whom they accuse of botching earlier bipartisan support for the act.

"We've had enough," said N.C. Dream Team co-founder Viridiana Martinez of Sanford. "We know we're taking risks, facing arrest every time we come out. But we have to speak out for ourselves. Because if we don't do it, someone else is going to do it. And that has gotten us nowhere."

The group formed last summer during a 13-day hunger strike in Raleigh to draw attention to the Dream Act. The name stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors.

Velazquillo learned of the group through his sister, Angelica. She attended the Dream Team's "coming out" rally in March, and shared her brother's story with the members.

The Dream Team plans to broadcast Velazquillo's appeal to their 1,100 N.C. supporters. But as many as 10,000 people are likely to learn about Velazquillo through the group's affiliated networks nationwide.

Erick Velazquillo, who is studying to be a nutritionist, said he's never been back to Mexico.

"It is scary," he said. "The only people I know over there are my grandmother who is 72 and my grandfather who is 74. ... What am I going to do?"

Discretion over deportation

The Obama administration has deported almost 800,000 people in the last two years. While the Dream Act failed last fall, the administration has made it clear that they don't want to deport college-age students who have not committed major crimes.

Some 800,000 established immigrants - including about 51,000 in North Carolina - would be covered by the act. But the bill has languished in Congress for 10 years.

Two weeks ago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it was encouraging agents to use "prosecutorial discretion" for young illegal immigrants who are seeking college degrees.

The authorities are now instructed to give "particular care and consideration" to individuals "present in the United States since childhood."

Team has allies, sees 'bully'

The Dream Team includes some U.S.-born allies.

Domenic Powell grew up in Charlotte and graduated from Hopewell High.

The 24-year-old, whose mother is Mexican-American, helps run the group's blog and media relations.

Powell, a UNC Chapel Hill graduate, said his reasons for becoming involved are simple: "I don't see how you can remain silent when this is happening to your friends."

In January, member Loida Ginocchio-Silva, 23, confronted U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan during a visit with constituents.

"Your vote against the Dream Act was a denial to our existence," she said in the exchange caught on video. "It was a denial to my future."

Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, told Ginocchio-Silva that she supported the Dream Act, but as part of a comprehensive reform package.

Hagan did not answer specific Observer questions about the Dream Team. She was one of five Democrats who voted to block the Dream Act in December. But comments from her staff indicate a possible softening of her position.

"Her mind is open to any sensible, bipartisan initiative that moves the country and North Carolina forward," spokeswoman Stephanie Allen said. When state Rep. Dale Folwell, a Winston-Salem Republican, sought to collect immigration data on K-12 students, the Dream Team dubbed him "North Carolina's biggest school bully."

Folwell said the goal of the measure, which was dropped, was to show the costs of educating illegal immigrants.

"People get tired of the simplicity of this, but $1 spent on an illegal is $1 taken away from a law-abiding citizen."

Ron Woodard, head of NC Listen, which advocates for greater immigration enforcement, said the students should be confronting their parents instead of making demands on the American people.

"Every illegal immigrant who gets into college here is going to displace a U.S. citizen because there are not enough seats," he said. "The right thing to do is not disenfranchise an American citizen."

Team's success and arrests

The Dream Team has been inspired by recent successes.

The group led a campaign on behalf of Fredd Reyes, a Guilford Technical Community College student who was awaiting deportation in Georgia.

Reyes was released in November after federal officials received more than 3,500 emails in his behalf.

Some traditional Latino groups say they applaud the young people's drive but question their methods.

Maudia Melendez of Jesus Ministry in Charlotte said the students take too many risks.

"I don't want to see their future broken because of what they're doing," she said. "Once you announce you're undocumented ... they can come and get you."

In April, two members of the Dream Team were arrested in an Atlanta demonstration. Martinez and Jose Rico, a student at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, joined five other undocumented peers who sat down in the middle of a street and announced they were in the country illegally.

"We're not ashamed anymore," Rico, 21, told the Observer. "We need to tell everyone that we exist, that we're undocumented, and put a face to the issue." News researcher Maria David contributed.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/01/2420335/immigrant-hangs-hopes-on-dream.html#ixzz1TyguAgfP

Students plan rally at Obama's Charlotte campaign headquarters

A Charlotte youth group affiliated with the Latin American Coalition is calling on President Obama to sign an executive order that would halt deportation of many college–aged illegal immigrants.

The United 4 The Dream youth group will be rallying Friday at 5 p.m. in front of Obama’s re-election headquarters on Elizabeth Avenue.

The Obama administration has said that congress should pass the Dream Act, which would allow some young illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship if they attend college or the join the military.

Advocates now want the president to use his authority to stop the deportations of certain groups, including students who would be eligible for the Dream Act.

For more information on the rally, call 704-941-2542 or visit www.latinamericancoalition.org.

Are Latinos turning on Obama?

Are President Obama's public pledges and desire to pass immigration reform and/or the Dream Act enough for Latinos to vote for him in 2012?

It was interesting watching Obama ride the wave of support after a successful Bin Laden mission to El Paso, Texas this month to push again for immigration reform – a measure even some of the most staunchest advocates feel is not going to happen before the election.

Several pundits and editorials accused Obama of pandering to Latinos as he starts his campaign on what is expected to be a very highly contested election

The Latinos who count immigration reform as their most important issue are not likely going to switch over and vote for a Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney or any other Republican candidate. However, those Latinos could certainly stay home on election day, which could prove costly.

The Latino vote was critical in the 2008 presidential election, Hispanics voted for Obama over Republican John McCain by a margin of more than two-to-one, 67 percent versus 31 percent, according to an analysis of exit polls by the Pew Hispanic Center. The Center’s analysis also found that 9 percent of the electorate was Latino, as indicated by the national exit poll.

And think about the prized 29 electoral votes in Florida, which many see as a potential game changer.

In 2008, Obama won 57 percent of the Latino vote in Florida, a state where Latinos have historically supported Republican presidential candidates. President Bush carried 56 percent of the Latino vote in Florida in 2004.

And many Latinos are disappointed in the president for failing to follow through with campaign promises on immigration reform.

“What I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support and that I’m promoting,” Obama said in an interview with the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision in 2008.

No doubt Obama’s handlers are thinking of these statistics as they scheduled speaking engagements advocating for immigration reform. But will they resonate with Latino voters?

Many advocates, including U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, have been urging Obama to use his authority to act independently and stop deportations of some groups of illegal immigrants, including undocumented students and the parents of children who are U.S. citizens.

"When the president of the United States decided there was possibly going to be an act of genocide in Libya, he bombed Gadhafi's forces," Gutierrez told the Observer on a visit to Charlotte earlier this month. "He didn't call anyone in Charlotte or Chicago. He didn't call the Congress of the United States. ... He used his discretion."

So Obama caught the ire of some Latino advocates when he launched a new campaign ad pushing the Dream Act. The ad asks his supporters to give their email address and zip code. When they click on the button “I’m in” it takes them to Obama’s campaign website.

“Obama, END Our Pain before you start your campaign!,” the headline read on United We Dream.

The authors go on to write:

"We are tired of politicians either bashing us or praising us without ending our pain. After the president's speech we knew he was on campaign mode, but these ads just brought insult to our ever-growing pain of achieving the American Dream. Until Congress passes the DREAM Act, the President has the full authority to enable us to temporarily come out of the shadows, work and contribute to our country."

NC illegal immigrants released from Atlanta jail

Two illegal immigrants from North Carolina have been released from jail after being arrested Tuesday for their participation in an Atlanta sit-in to protest laws and proposed laws that bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

Viridiana Martinez of Sanford said shortly after being taken to jail with the six other undocumented students who were arrested, immigration officers arrived and asked them to sign forms. All of the participants refused. She does not know why ICE did not take further action.

“We definitely felt privileged—not everyone who is undocumented is treated the way we were,” she said. “we are not sure why we were not detained.”

Martinez and Jose Rico, a student at Wake Tech, are part of the NC Dream Team, a state-wide group that advocates for immigrant rights. They were among seven undocumented students arrested in an act of civil obedience intended to raise awareness of new legislation in Georgia (and proposed in North Carolina) that bans illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

For earlier coverage on the sit in, visit here and here.

Undocumented NC students arrested during sit in

Two illegal immigrants from North Carolina have been arrested and could face deportation after staging a sit in this afternoon in downtown Atlanta to protest laws that bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

Supporters say Jose Rico, a student at Wake Tech, and Viridiana Martinez of Sanford, were arrested with five other undocumented students who were protesting recently proposed legislation in Georgia and North Carolina.

The students were taken to an area jail. The supporters said the Atlanta jails participate in Secure Communities, which identifies and places illegal immigrants into deportation proceedings.

A vigil will be held tonight outside Atlanta Detention Center for the seven undocumented youth who were just arrested.

“I’m doing this because our communities are living in fear,” Rico said before the rally.

Organizers say more than 200 supporters from Georgia, the Carolinas, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, among other states, are in Atlanta supporting the rally.

Rico is a member of the NC Dream Team, a state-wide group that advocates for immigrant rights. He is a student at Wake Tech in Raleigh and plans to transfer to NC State. After excelling in high school being accepted to numerous colleges, Rico could not afford to go to school because of the out-of-state tuition that undocumented students are required to pay. Rico wants to become an engineer.

The students are part of The Dream is Coming project, which was created to advocate for the Dream Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for certain young people who were brought here at a young age. It has failed to pass congress several times, most recently in December.

“Fifty-one thousand undocumented youth had their dreams torn apart when our senators voted against the Dream Act," Rico said. "They are trying to criminalize our existence.”

The young students have started using civil disobedience as a tool in their fight, including a high-profile sit-in at the Tucson offices of U.S. Sen. John McCain, when some of them were arrested. They have likened their struggle to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and say they are bolstered by support from some of the leaders of that movement.

Legislators in North Carolina are considering banning illegal immigrants from attending public colleges and universities. Two bills in the NC General Assembly, HB 11 and HB 343, would ban illegal immigrants from attending the state's public colleges.

Viridiana Martinez, who came to the United States when she was 7-years-old and lives in Sanford, will also participate in the sit in. Last year, she was one of three undocumented young women who participated in a thirteen-day hunger strike with the hope of encouraging Senator Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, to support the Dream Act. The Dream Act succumbed to a Senate filibuster after several key Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the bill.

“Rallying and protesting are no longer enough,” Martinez said. “Remaining in the shadows is no longer acceptable.”

Associated Press Contributed.

NC students risk arrest and deportation

Two illegal immigrants from North Carolina will risk arrest and deportation when they stage a sit in this afternoon in downtown Atlanta to protests laws that bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

“I’m doing this because our communities are living in fear,” said Jose Rico, one of two participants from North Carolina.

They will be joined by six other undocumented students from across the country.

Organizers say more than 200 supporters from Georgia, the Carolinas, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, among other states, are in Atlanta supporting the rally.

Rico is a member of the NC Dream Team, a state-wide group that advocates for immigrant rights. He is a student at Wake Tech in Raleigh and plans to transfer to NC State. After excelling in high school being accepted to numerous colleges, Rico could not afford to go to school because of the out-of-state tuition that undocumented students are required to pay. Rico wants to become an engineer.

The students are part of The Dream is Coming project, which was created to advocate for the Dream Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for certain young people who were brought here at a young age. It has failed to pass congress several times, most recently in December.

“Fifty-one thousand undocumented youth had their dreams torn apart when our senators voted against the Dream Act," Rico said. "They are trying to criminalize our existence.”

The young students have started using civil disobedience as a tool in their fight, including a high-profile sit-in at the Tucson offices of U.S. Sen. John McCain, when some of them were arrested. They have likened their struggle to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and say they are bolstered by support from some of the leaders of that movement.

Legislators in North Carolina are considering banning illegal immigrants from attending public colleges and universities. Two bills in the NC General Assembly, HB 11 and HB 343, would ban illegal immigrants from attending the state's public colleges.

Viridiana Martinez, who came to the United States when she was 7-years-old and lives in Sanford, will also participate in the sit in.Last year, she was one of three undocumented young women who participated in a thirteen-day hunger strike with the hope of encouraging Senator Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, to support the Dream Act. The Dream Act succumbed to a Senate filibuster after several key Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the bill.

“Rallying and protesting are no longer enough,” Martinez said. “Remaining in the shadows is no longer acceptable.”

Associated Press Contributed.

Selene didn't realize her immigration status until middle school

Some 75 people, mostly students, marched through Uptown Thursday protesting newly introduced state legislation that targets immigrants living in the country illegally.

One student, Selene, a 17-year-old junior in Charlotte, told the crowd about learning her immigration status while in middle school.

"When I was six years old my parents decided to come visit my moms’ family in the United States. I was young and excited about the trip. I had never really met all of my family members.

The time spent here was great and when the vacation was coming to an end my parents decided to stay longer because they felt that learning a new language would be a great opportunity for my sisters and me. At that time the immigration laws were not as tough and stringent as they are now. I grew up thinking that the United States was my home, and that everyone around me was my friend.

When I entered middle school I began to realize the situation that I was in. I started hearing all of the negative and racist comments that people were saying about my race. I learned what the true meaning of being undocumented in this country was and how I would be impacted by that.

I’ve always been a good student in school, my parents place a very high value in education, and therefore I try my hardest everyday, so that they can be proud of me. I’m currently in the top 12 percent of my class and my biggest dream is to attend UNC Chapel Hill in order to later become a lawyer and hopefully one day a Supreme Court Justice. It saddens me to see that the country I call home is fighting so hard to get rid of me.

All I want is to give back the community that has sheltered me since such a young age. I want to be able to go to college, so that later I can help those in need, especially my family members. I don’t see why people want to deny me the right to an education. The economy is in a very rough spot right now. Why not let me help restore the community?

All that the Latino youth are asking for is to be partners in order to help rebuild our collective community. I’m ready to start standing up for what I know I deserve. I work hard daily and I think that anyone who wants a chance to improve their future should be given that chance. We will not give up the fight and I will go to college and be the best person I can be!"

'My name is Elver and I'm undocumented and unafraid.'

Students told their personal stories of finding out they were living in the country illegally during an Uptown rally Thursday to protest recent legislation directed at immigrants.

A couple students shared their speeches with me. Here is one from Elver, 19, who graduated from a Charlotte-Mecklenburg High School in 2009.

'My name is Elver and I'm undocumented and unafraid.'

Yes I am undocumented and I’m not afraid of what people might think because it is not a crime, and I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just working like most people in this country. I didn’t choose to come to the United States, my parents made that decision for me because it was safer for me to live here in the states than in my own country with violence and the killing every day. That’s not what parents want for their kids, and that’s not what my parents wanted for my future.

I came here when I was 14 years old, and when I arrived I didn’t speak any English, I had to adapt to a whole new society, and teachers and staff told me that I couldn’t go to college or do well in school because I was “illegal”, and I couldn’t speak the language. To their surprise I graduated in the top 11% of my class in June of 2009, and now ever since I graduated I have been fighting hard for the right of education, the right to higher education for the undocumented students like me and 65,000 other students that graduate each year from high school in the nation that cant go to college because they’re undocumented. And bills like the HB 343- it is basically racial profiling, and is somebody’s way to kick us out this country which to many is our only and 1st home country.

But is up to us the people, the youth and it is in our hands- the power of change, the power of the people, the power to make the voices of those whose voices are not being heard. In your hands is the future of us the undocumented youth. The youth are the future of the United States but we are also the present and we have to show that we can and we have to power to make change. Therefore I want to ask you to come out the shadows, undocumented youth, come out and let’s show the community of Charlotte that we exist and that we are youth with dreams just like any other U.S citizen. Let’s show the community of Charlotte that the undocumented people and our allies are stronger than before, and we are one voice, the voice of change and the voice of the future. "

Local advocates saddened that Dream Act blocked

Vianey Hernandez was crushed.

The young advocate with Action NC's youth group, Dare To Dream, was among the many supporters of the Dream Act hurt yesterday when Senate Republicans blocked an effort that would have given hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal residency if they enrolled in college or joined the military.

“It breaks my heart, that my best friend and my little sister are being denied a future. We were all brought here when we were little and this is all we know.”

Jose Canales said “this makes me mad; just because I’m a U.S. citizen I can go to college and friends I’ve known my whole life can’t.

Hector Vaca, a community organizer with Action NC, said the hopes and dreams of millions of youth around the country were crushed as the United States Senate voted 55 to 41 to limit debate and bring the Dream Act to a vote.

"These are not the actions of public servants who claim to represent the will and interests of the American people."

He and other North Carolina advocates were particularly disappointed that Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, voted against the act. She was among five Democrats who joined 36 Republicans in blocking it.

Canales however said this will not discourage him.

"I will work harder to make their American dream come true too. 2011 is the year we make those old politicians in Washington care about us young people.”

Could Dream Act actually pass this time?

Charlotte supporters are cautiously ecstatic that the House passed the bill.

The fate of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act now rests with the Senate. Supporters and Opponents are on edge.

The Dream Act has been on the Congressional table since 2003. The last time the Senate voted on the Dream Act was in September when it failed to get the necessary 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster.

That vote was 52 to 44. The vote this morning is likely to be as close.

The House surprised many by passing the measure. Some 38 Democrats joined Republicans voting against the measure, but eight Republicans voted for the measure.

William Gheen, president of ALIPAC, called those Republicans “turncoats.”

“The he chances amnesty will pass the senate in the morning and become law are very high,” he said in an email to members. “To many Americans are relaxed by these unfounded assurances.”

Supporters of the Dream Act meanwhile are cautiously ecstatic.

Locally, students have been rallying around the Dream Act, telling their stories and organizing their peers to make calls to their representatives. Students have sent over 100 letters to Senator Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, alone urging her to support of Dream Act, according to the Latin American Coalition.

Votes by Democrats like Hagan will be key in this vote.

Hagan told the Observer in September that she felt the Dream Act should be considered in the context of comprehensive immigration reform, not as a stand-alone bill."

Lacey Williams, the Youth Civic Engagement and Advocacy Organizer at the Latin American Coalition, said the vote was encouraging.

“The fate of thousands of young students' futures is on the line tomorrow. All eyes are now on the Senate.”

UPDATE 11 a.m.: The Senate voted 59 -40 to postpone a decision on the Dream Act. A new vote is expected week.

Photo: C.M. GUERRERO, EL NUEVO HERALD -- Undocumented students march in downtown Miami in support of the DREAM Act.

Q&A: An undocumented student's journey to get a degree

Four years ago, Sem Moreno was one of the first Charlotte students to openly discuss his immigrant status when explaining how difficult it was for undocumented students like him to further their education.

The Concord High graduate was able to continue his education with the help of supporters, but he says thousands can’t and won’t unless Congress passes bills like the Dream Act. As Congress continues to debate the bill that would give young illegal immigrants a chance at residency status if they attend college, we caught up with Moreno, now 24, to talk about his long battle to continue his education.

You wrote a book in 2004 called "Do Not Leave Us Behind" about the perspectives from 15 Hispanic students like yourself who have grown up in the U.S., but have limited opportunities because of their immigration status. You even sent a copy to President Bush. The situation today is pretty much the same. Still no Dream Act. Do you feel you were left behind?

In terms of the legislative bill proposal, Dream Act, things seem to be about the same and stuck in congress. No, I do not feel left behind. Personally, I feel I defied time and fate by fulfilling my purpose and ambitions.

How were you able to continue your college education without legal residency?

I was fortunate to receive financial assistance from non-profit organizations and from Queens University of Charlotte, a private institution, from which I obtained my degree.

You were one of the first students to come out about your residency status and advocate for yourself. You knew the risks. You could have been deported? Why take the chance?

The media has given us, immigrants, a deteriorating name and portrays our image as negative or as that of a criminal. Because we rarely hear about the contributions and accomplishments of the Latino community I decided to share my story hoping for you to see the other face of America, immigrants, from a different perspective.

Today, more students are following your lead. Should they be more concerned about the possibility that they could be deported?

No. I believe students should be more concerned about becoming skilled professionals than fearing deportation.

Why is it important for them to speak out?

It is imperative for these students to speak out because change will not happen unless they take the lead. Legislators must know 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools across America each year who are unable to attend higher education.

Are you continuing to do advocacy work?

Lately, I have been playing the role of a spectator as supposed to that of a gladiator. Last year I started exploring opportunities to further my education in a different country.

How do you feel that the Dream Act has yet to be enacted?

A whole generation of bright individuals is being placed in limbo. And I am disappointed that congress has not been able to pass this bill since 2001.

The Dream Act is currently being discussed in Congress. Do you think it has a chance of passing before the end of the lame duck session after which new legislators take over?

I think the Dream Act has the same possibilities of passing now as it did 9 years ago.

What's next for you?

Canada is next for me. I have been accepted in a M.Sc. program in immunology (research) at the University of Manitoba. I will be living in Winnipeg. After completing my graduate program I would like to continue doing research and to teach at the college level.

Would you like to return to the Charlotte?

Charlotte is like home to me. It would be great to visit the many people who supported and believed in me throughout my 10 year journey in the U.S.

Students gather tonight for Dream Act Vigil

Students plan to meet outside U.S. Senator Kay Hagan’s Charlotte office this afternoon at 5 p.m. in hopes of urging her to support the Dream Act.

The Dream Act is up for debate as Congress attempts to push through several initiatives during the lame duck session before new legislators arrive next year. The Dream Act would give thousands of young illegal immigrants who have attended U.S. high schools a chance to gain legal residency if they attend college or serve in the military.

Hagan told the Observer in September that she felt the Dream Act should be considered in the context of comprehensive immigration reform, not as a stand-alone bill."

Advocates say as many as 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school with no options to further their education. The Dream Act has received some bipartisan support. There is more sympathy for the kids who supporters say shouldn't be punished for the errors of their parents.

But opposition is strong. Those against the Act argue passing it will only add more incentives to illegal immigrants to come here and create unfair competition with U.S. citizens and residents for college seats.

“In less than a decade, this reality could easily double or triple the more than 2.1 million green cards that will be immediately distributed as a result of the dream act,” U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions wrote in his report, “Ten Things You Need To Know About S.3827, Dream Act.”

The vigil:

What : Candlelight Vigil for Broken Dreams
When: December 2, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Where: Outside Senator Hagan’s Charlotte office.
Who: United 4 the DREAM and NC Equals
Contact: Elver Barrios, United 4 the DREAM, 704-726-3346; Lacey Williams, NC Equals, 904-571-7800

The Dream Act and Colin Powell's immigration bomb

A recap of the latest news on The Dream Act. Legislators will debate the merits of adding the controversial measure to the defense bill this week. The Dream Act would give some illegal immigrant students a chance to become citizens if they complete two years of college or military service.

Colin Powell drops immigration bomb
Associated Press
Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell says illegal immigrants do essential work in the U.S. and he has firsthand knowledge of that -- because they fix his house.

Dream Act has little chance this time around…
Los Angeles Times
The chances that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can deliver on his promise to move the so-called DREAM Act toward passage in the Senate this week range from slim to none. But the announcement that it would be added as an amendment to the Defense Department authorization bill has energized pro-immigrant groups, even as it underlines the fact that there'll be no comprehensive immigration reform any time in the near future. Not this year, certainly, and probably not next year either.

Editorial supports Dream Act
Chicago Tribune
Every year, 65,000 youngsters who are here illegally graduate from high school to an uncertain future. They don't qualify for most scholarships, student loans or resident tuition rates; they also can't legally work here. Those who can afford tuition hesitate to apply for fear of being deported. With no ties to any other country, most end up staying and working underground. U.S. taxpayers, meanwhile, are deprived of the talent and legal labor of hundreds of thousands of young men and women they paid to school.

If we can't amend, enforce:
Los Angeles Times
It would be nice to get rid of the anachronism of birthright citizenship, but that may be practically impossible. So here's an alternative idea: How about enforcing the immigration laws we've got? ...The worst offender, however, has been the Obama administration, which seems to be doing everything in its power to ensure that those numbers continue to rise. It has pushed for amnesty, refused requests to beef up border enforcement, made it difficult to detain illegal immigrants pending deportation proceedings, and waged an all-out courtroom war against legal efforts to slow illegal immigration in Arizona.

Poll results show most in state want illegals barred from public colleges
Athens Banner-Herald
Two-thirds of Georgians want to bar illegal immigrants from attending the University of Georgia and other public colleges, even if they pay out-of-state tuition, according to results from a recent poll. Sixty-seven percent of people polled last week by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for the Georgia Newspaper Partnership favor a law requiring proof of legal residency to attend a Georgia college or university, while 22 percent opposed such a law and 11 percent were undecided.

Low poll numbers for Obama on hot topic
Orange County Register (California)
Most U.S. voters disapprove of President Barack Obama's handling of illegal immigration, according to a recent national poll by Quinnipiac University. The poll showed that 60 percent of respondents disapproved of his handling of illegal immigration, while 25 percent approved and the rest didn't know.

Photo: Immigration activists held a rally in May on the campus of the University of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James, Chicago Tribune / September 20, 2010)

Obama vows to fight for Dream Act

The Senate has “chance to do the right thing,” the president told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday. Obama said the bill would help young people in the country illegally a chance to attend college or serve in the U.S. military.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this week that he wants to add the Dream Act as an amendment to the upcoming defense policy bill.

The act applies to young people who came to the country when they were under 16 years of age and have been in the country five years. These students would have a chance to apply for citizenship if they complete two years of college or military service.

It’s a tough time for any kind of immigration reform. According to recent polls, most residents seem to be in favor of sending everyone home.

The Dream Act however has some bipartisan support. There is more sympathy for the kids who supporters say shouldn't be punished for the errors of their parents.

Opponents have come out in force against the Dream Act. They argue passing it will only add more incentives to illegal immigrants to come here and create unfair competition with U.S. citizens and residents for college seats.

"The Dream Act would provide amnesty for millions of illegal aliens under the age of 30 who claim they entered the US when they were young and claim they intend to go to college," said William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC.

Even supporters of comprehensive immigration reform are a bit nervous. They fear that if the law passes, they may have lost one of their strongest trump cards for passing a more in-depth comprehensive policy that they feel is needed to fix the broken immigration system.

President Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus gala that he would do whatever it takes to support the act’s passage.

An excerpt:

"Now, the Senate is going to have a chance to do the right thing over the next few weeks when Senator Reid brings the DREAM Act to the floor. Keep in mind, in the past, this was a bill that was supported by a majority of Democrats and Republicans. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t receive that same kind of bipartisan support today. I’ve been a supporter since I was in the Senate, and I will do whatever it takes to support the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ efforts to pass this bill so that I can sign it into law on behalf of students seeking a college education and those who wish to serve in our country’s uniform. It’s the right thing to do. We should get it done. "

Big meeting today on admitting undocumented students

A public hearing is being held this morning on admitting illegal immigrants to N.C. community colleges.

After two years of controversy, the community colleges board in September approved a policy to admit illegal immigrants – if they pay out-of-state tuition rates, have graduated from an American high school, and don’t displace students in the country legally. The public hearing is part of a required administrative review process before the policy is put in place.

Groups for and against the policy change have been organizing by phone, email, and the Internet to ensure they have a strong showing at the Raleigh hearing.

Those opposed to the move say the debate is not over. Consider:

“With 11% unemployment, shouldn’t our North Carolina Community College System focus our limited state resources on training/educating unemployed citizens for jobs? If we allow illegal immigrants to attend state Community Colleges at any of the over 50 campuses across NC, won’t we be helping illegal immigrants take jobs that should be reserved for only legal residents?” – NC Listen

Those in favor of admitting illegal immigrants say every student deserves an opportunity to further their education. They say:

“We have demanded access to higher education for all of our students, and we must now demonstrate that we support this step in the right direction that the State Board of Community Colleges has taken. We must have enough speakers lined up to speak in favor of an open door policy, especially because we know that our opposition will also be lined up to speak against this proposal.” - Adelante Education Coalition

Photo: DANA ROMANOFF, Observer Photographer

State board: Admit undocumented students

Read what the college board had to say today.

The State Board of Community Colleges approved a new admissions policy that would allow illegal immigrants to attend North Carolina community colleges. The board voted 16 to 1 in favor of the new policy.

To be admitted illegal immigrants must meet the following requirements:

1. Must be a graduate of a U.S. high school
2. Must pay out-of-state tuition, totaling $4,400 per academic year.
3. May not displace a North Carolina or U.S. resident from a class or program

Click here to read what the college board had to say.

Harvard president supports college for illegal immigrants

The president of Harvard University caused a stir last week when she pledged support for a federal bill that would provide legal residency to some illegal immigrant students.

The Boston Globe reports that President Drew Gilpin Faust’s backing of the Dream Act surprised students and drew criticism from opponents of the act.

In a letter to federal lawmakers, Faust called the legislation a "life line" for some students. The legislation would allow young illegal immigrants a path to legal residency if they attend two years of college or military service. She acknowledged that students with "immigration status issues" attend Harvard.

Last year in North Carolina, the board of the state’s two-year college system stopped a longtime practice of allowing illegal immigrants to enroll at 58 campuses under out-of-state tuition rates.
In a preliminary report, a board consultant said the state could profit from admitting undocumented students because they would pay $1,650 more in tuition than it costs to allow them to attend.

Faust is the latest leader to pledge support for the controversial bill. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently told Congress she supports the bill. Last month, the College Board, made up of more than 5,000 colleges and universities, announced its backing of the legislation.

"I believe it is in our best interest to educate all students to their full potential - it vastly improves their lives and grows our communities and economy," Faust wrote in a letter to members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who support the bill.

Opponents of the legislation, such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Harvard should not admit illegal immigrants because they displace students here legally.

"Maybe the elites at Harvard should come down from their ivory tower and get some ground perspective on what kind of cost and competition that legal U.S. residents are actually incurring these days," said Bob Dane, spokesman for FAIR.