Elvira Arellano deported, Chicago pastor says

[Chica Yeyé 41]

no joy from me,...seeing a mother and son seperated...even if it is by the mother's choice

Brother almaty.... I agree. We are all here (I am) for family reunification: so in all honestly, doing the happy for a woman who is separated from her child borders is... words escape me.

And before I get slammed with nifty and petty attacks, I'll make clear that No, I am not for illegal immigration (wouldn't be here otherwise); but simplistic BRAVO's!!! when other people's lives go to the drain are, at best, sad.

Peace, L.

[Sinergy 3]

Again, no one is 'ing for the seperation, but it was the MOTHERS choice to leave her son here. she could have taken him with her if she wanted to. The fact ppl are celebrating is she was deported therefore our immigration works SOMETIMES.

But im sure some will still claim the celebration is for the seperation, but whats VJ without a debate even on simple issues.

and bro dean, agreed with you and sorry you and your son had to go thru that. hugs

Edited August 20, 2007 by Ionescu

[mawilson 2,133]

As I said before, court decisions can and do get overturned. I don't know the exact circumstances surrounding her deportation, but it happened as a sweep under national security right after 9/11, when she was doing janitorial work at the airport. Unless you can find information on her case, neither of us know whether her case was brought before a court which decided to deport her or whether she was automatically deported. As I stated before, I don't know whether she is justified in her actions or not because I don't know all the circumstances and neither do you, but based on the facts that you know, you believe she should be automatically deported, and I've said that a court should consider all the circumstances, particularly her 8 yr. old son, as to whether to deport her or not. It's really pointless to carry this argument out any further than that.

[perfect 39]

It's sad that as a mother her own immigration "activism" is more important to her than her own son's well-being. He has been used publically as a pawn in her attempts to pressure the governent to allow her to stay, even to the point of using him to speak to committees. He is a USC and will not lose his "rights" so there was no reason for her to not take him with her to Mexico, other than that she perhaps feels if he is here, she can continue to use their separation as a tool in her quest to come back. However, the fact that she allowed him to stay here when she could have taken him with her and avoided such a separation at this young age, proves that she does not have his best interests at heart, but her own. JMHO.

[GaryC 7]

It's sad that as a mother her own immigration "activism" is more important to her than her own son's well-being. He has been used publically as a pawn in her attempts to pressure the governent to allow her to stay, even to the point of using him to speak to committees. He is a USC and will not lose his "rights" so there was no reason for her to not take him with her to Mexico, other than that she perhaps feels if he is here, she can continue to use their separation as a tool in her quest to come back. However, the fact that she allowed him to stay here when she could have taken him with her and avoided such a separation at this young age, proves that she does not have his best interests at heart, but her own. JMHO.

You took the words right out of my mouth. She had the child as a pawn and she is continuing to use him as a pawn. Lousy mother if you ask me.

[Caladan 19]

I haven't been following the case to know whether her deportation is just or not, but I do feel bad that she's been separated from her son. Shouting 'bravo' seems a little gauche to me... it's not the eight-year-old's fault that his mom was illegal, and I imagine it's hard on him whether they stay separated or he grows up in Mexico and if I was told I had to raise my child in a country that's lacking a lot of the basics I'd probably fight, too.

While I think the fact that she's been deported is probably fair (and a relief), it seems really low-class to be chortling about someone else's very real suffering. (And we're all the same offline as online, you all tell me....)

[peejay 327]

I think the main crux to comprehend in the "anchor baby" movement is that these people would have us all believe that these kids are somehow being marched to their death or to great harm if mama and/or daddy are deported for breaking our immigration laws. Nevermind that millions of babies are born all over the world and survive quite well without the USA.

And for the Mexican government to get on their indignant high horse and spew vitriol at the USA for deporting illegal aliens (something the Mexican government has no problems doing to foreigners illegally in their country) is beyond words. Especially when these same government officials do little to help the plight of their own people. It seems that they only show concern for their own people when they won't be able to send remittances back to Mexico anymore. Then they whine about ill treatment of their citizens at the hands of the Americanos. Pure bullsh*t!

So why isn't the Mexican government helping poor Elvira so she can provide for her son in Mexico? The silence is deafening!

[desert_fox 32]

1 down, 11,999,999 to go.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I think the main crux to comprehend in the "anchor baby" movement is that these people would have us all believe that these kids are somehow being marched to their death or to great harm if mama and/or daddy are deported for breaking our immigration laws. Nevermind that millions of babies are born all over the world and survive quite well without the USA.

And for the Mexican government to get on their indignant high horse and spew vitriol at the USA for deporting illegal aliens (something the Mexican government has no problems doing to foreigners illegally in their country) is beyond words. Especially when these same government officials do little to help the plight of their own people. It seems that they only show concern for their own people when they won't be able to send remittances back to Mexico anymore. Then they whine about ill treatment of their citizens at the hands of the Americanos. Pure bullsh*t!

So why isn't the Mexican government helping poor Elvira so she can provide for her son in Mexico? The silence is deafening!

My dear peejay: Ever been to Mexico? And by Mexico I do not mean Cancun or Acapulco. I lived there for most of my life and I am aware of the issues MY country faces. Nor government or the people are for illegal immigration at all, and they do what they can. Is it enough? Hell no! Could they/should they do better for my fellow citizens? You betcha. Should they increase social service spending, education, training, etc? Absofkkkinlutely - as much as the next country should (instead of say, spending exorbitant money on defense and armory and let low income housing go the way of the Dodo bird). But DON'T give me the "they only thing they care for is remittances from abroad": that is below the belt my friend, and you are a smart person peejay.

The silence is NOT deafening. I am here, speaking up - my government should definitely make more to help not only Elvira, but all women/men/children in her position to be able to have a better life in their own country. Does that mean I am going to join a lynching mob actually clapping at human misery? (in any form it takes). Hell no. Not as an academic, not as an immigrant, not as a woman, not as a human being. I do not relish on people's suffering. I am not advocating for Elvira's re admittance to the US - she broke the law and has to pay the price accordingly. But I am not about to call children names (i.e. anchor babies) and pretend they do not exist or don't matter. It would be equivalent to say that some people -say the members of the GLBTQ community- are less human than heterosexuals and hence deserve less protection from the law. Anchor baby... man, that's sad.

We are an immigration forum, we all go through this horrendous, strenuous, invasive and nerve-wracking process. This makes our tempers flare with ease, since we are doing it the legal way - I get that. But my God! Let's give space for compassion. Not "amnesty for all", just human compassion. Let's do away with ethnic, personal, cultural attacks on this forum -- we are here for help (for ourselves and others). Shall we? (and no, I am not attacking freedom of speech, just moving for all of us to reflect on our compassion levels, me included).

Peace, L.

[almaty 19]

I think the main crux to comprehend in the "anchor baby" movement is that these people would have us all believe that these kids are somehow being marched to their death or to great harm if mama and/or daddy are deported for breaking our immigration laws. Nevermind that millions of babies are born all over the world and survive quite well without the USA.

And for the Mexican government to get on their indignant high horse and spew vitriol at the USA for deporting illegal aliens (something the Mexican government has no problems doing to foreigners illegally in their country) is beyond words. Especially when these same government officials do little to help the plight of their own people. It seems that they only show concern for their own people when they won't be able to send remittances back to Mexico anymore. Then they whine about ill treatment of their citizens at the hands of the Americanos. Pure bullsh*t!

So why isn't the Mexican government helping poor Elvira so she can provide for her son in Mexico? The silence is deafening!

My dear peejay: Ever been to Mexico? And by Mexico I do not mean Cancun or Acapulco. I lived there for most of my life and I am aware of the issues MY country faces. Nor government or the people are for illegal immigration at all, and they do what they can. Is it enough? Hell no! Could they/should they do better for my fellow citizens? You betcha. Should they increase social service spending, education, training, etc? Absofkkkinlutely - as much as the next country should (instead of say, spending exorbitant money on defense and armory and let low income housing go the way of the Dodo bird). But DON'T give me the "they only thing they care for is remittances from abroad": that is below the belt my friend, and you are a smart person peejay.

The silence is NOT deafening. I am here, speaking up - my government should definitely make more to help not only Elvira, but all women/men/children in her position to be able to have a better life in their own country. Does that mean I am going to join a lynching mob actually clapping at human misery? (in any form it takes). Hell no. Not as an academic, not as an immigrant, not as a woman, not as a human being. I do not relish on people's suffering. I am not advocating for Elvira's re admittance to the US - she broke the law and has to pay the price accordingly. But I am not about to call children names (i.e. anchor babies) and pretend they do not exist or don't matter. It would be equivalent to say that some people -say the members of the GLBTQ community- are less human than heterosexuals and hence deserve less protection from the law. Anchor baby... man, that's sad.

We are an immigration forum, we all go through this horrendous, strenuous, invasive and nerve-wracking process. This makes our tempers flare with ease, since we are doing it the legal way - I get that. But my God! Let's give space for compassion. Not "amnesty for all", just human compassion. Let's do away with ethnic, personal, cultural attacks on this forum -- we are here for help (for ourselves and others). Shall we? (and no, I am not attacking freedom of speech, just moving for all of us to reflect on our compassion levels, me included).

Peace, L.

applause... for an excellent post

[GabachaYucateca 0]

Thank you for that eloquent answer, Lenandbren.

[rika60607 215]

Is it possible that she could not take her son? OK, he's a USC so he does not need a visa to Mexica, but (I don't know the original story) - may be there was no permission from the father, or something else?

[Heracles 417]

This might be good for those poor illegal immigrants in Mexico. They now should have an activist on their side. A Mexican national that will fight to afford them humane treatment and due process. Or maybe not.

Why would someone from Mexico fight for change in the country with the richest person in the 'WORLD', to improve their conditions, when she can complain about how unfairly she was treated in the US. And startup a new cause for that..

[Heracles 417]

We are an immigration forum, we all go through this horrendous, strenuous, invasive and nerve-wracking process. This makes our tempers flare with ease, since we are doing it the legal way - I get that. But my God! Let's give space for compassion. Not "amnesty for all", just human compassion. Let's do away with ethnic, personal, cultural attacks on this forum -- we are here for help (for ourselves and others). Shall we? (and no, I am not attacking freedom of speech, just moving for all of us to reflect on our compassion levels, me included).

There seems to be a lot of people from Caaaaaaaaanada who talk about compassion and so on. Why doesn't Canada take them all in, considering Canadians are so compassionate?? Why is it the US has to be unicef and world police while everyone else sits on their ###; Including the Mexican government. The number of illegal immigrants here equates to 1/3 of Canada's population..

PS what about the 45,000,000 Americans living in poverty. Or do they not count because they are Americans?? My compassion lies for Americans and not Mexico. Every country has it's problems. It is time Mexico steps up to the plate and deals with their own poor rather than exporting it elsewhere..

Edited August 20, 2007 by Boo-Yah!

[Fandango 1,440]

I am really quite dismayed at how words are twisted to mean that ANYONE here relishes anyone's personal suffering. It's unfair to the whole argument...and it's really incorrect anyways. Can we possibly not shadow box a point that NO ONE has made?

So for the sake of clarity:

NO ONE HERE is relishing a human's suffering...those happy with the deportation are happy for the fact that the system FINALLY worked in this case. No one here is dancing the jig because she's separated from her son.

Please no more preachy preachy stuff about how people are all heartless b@stards because we're happy that the laws were actually enforced.