Should Elvira Arellano Have Been Deported?
* Arellano illegally crossed the US border for the first time in 1997, when she was 22 years old. She was deported fairly rapidly.
* Only a few days after her deportation, she came back across the border and lived in Oregon for three years.
* In 1999, she gave birth to her son Saul, who has citizenship due to Amendment 14 of the US Constitution -- a law that was originally intended to make ex-slaves citizens but which has since been expanded to include anyone born in the United States.
* In 2000, Arellano moved to Chicago, where she worked as an airplane cleaner at O'Hare International Airport using false papers including a fake social security card.
* In 2002, Arellano was caught when a post-9/11 sweep turned up her fake social security card.
* On August 15, 2006, she failed to show up in court for a deportation hearing, as ordered; instead, she sought sanctuary in a pro-illegal-alien church, the Adalberto United Methodist Church. The pastor of this church is married to a prominent illegal-alien activist.
* During this time, Arellano started an organization, La Familia Latina Unida, that lobbies to allow families that could be divided by deportation to remain together.
* Saul Arellano, Elvira's then-seven-year-old son who is supposedly ADHD, appeared before the Congress of Mexico to plead his mother's case. The Congress, in response, passed a resolution urging the U.S. to not deport illegal aliens in the position of the Arellanos.
* Arellano left her sanctuary to travel to a rally in Los Angeles, where she was arrested on August 19, 2007. She has now been deported. Her son remains with caretakers associated with the Adalberto United Methodist Church, though he has visited her in Tijuana.
Of course, I can't keep my mouth shut about this. I have to point out:
* Ms. Arellano is in the position she's in because she chose to flaunt the laws of the United States, bypass the legal immigration system, and come to America twice without permission.
* She also chose to give birth in the United States.
* She used her son as a proxy for herself when she sent him to plead in front of the Congress of Mexico.
* She chose to leave the church to involve herself in American politics -- a position that is hardly appropriate for a non-citizen.
* And finally, the United States did not rip her son from her arms, as she likes to imply. Rather, she chose to leave him in the United States when she was returned to Mexico. He is free to go to her whenever she likes.
I also have to ask a few questions:
Who is paying for Ms. Arellano and her son's travel expenses? It costs a lot of money to fly back and forth between Chicago and Los Angeles and Mexico. Ms. Arellano, a single mother, has been staying in a church and not leaving. Someone with an agenda is funding this, and that makes me immediately not trust her motives.
Why has Ms. Arellano never bothered to learn proper English if she wants to stay in the United States? It makes it very difficult for her to gain American sympathies if she won't even learn the language common to most of us.
Why, if Mexico is so horrible that Ms. Arellano had to flee from it, does she work so closely with its government in her attempts to remain in America? Similarly, why does Mexico have such interest in helping Ms. Arellano and other citizens of its country remain in America? Instead of lobbying for their remaining in the US, why aren't they doing the truly humane thing and addressing the issues in Mexico that make America so much more attractive to so many of their people?
Whatever happened to Ms. Arellano's two hunger strikes? Twice she went on hunger strike in the church, and nothing was ever said about their resolution. Oh, unlike other hunger strikes I've heard of, both these were time-limited (25 days each) and allowed for calorie-rich liquids, just no solid foods. Sounds more like a fast to me.
Since when is a church allowed to get away with harboring a lawbreaker and still keep its tax-exempt status? Has anyone looked into where this church's money is going? If any of it is supporting illegal or political activities, it makes the church status very questionable indeed.
Published by Jamie K. Wilson
Jamie K. Wilson is the wife of a US sailor and mother of two teen boys, one Marine, and two beautiful baby girls. The family hails from Louisville, Kentucky originally. View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentOne last thing: For anyone complaining about bad work conditions for illegal immigrants, why wouldn't you think they are stupid for breaking the law so that they can work in crappy conditions? Also, how many immigrants have you sponsored. If you have such a problem, become active and help people immigrate.
When I first saw your title, I cringed, as I thought this would be in support of illegal immigrants. I was so pleased with your thoughts on the ordeal, and couldn't agree more. Much like some parents who divorce use their child as leverage, so is she. She has broken the law, and should be punished. I wouldn't have the same problems with illegal immigrants that I do if they had to pay taxes (like if we implemented the Fair Tax, a national sales tax in place of income tax), but so much money goes to all of these crazy cases, when there are plenty of people trying to come here legally. Thanks for writing such an enlightened article!
Great article. If this woman is the next generation, we are screwed and it's time to pick up shop and move .. maybe to Mexico? We have laws so that ALL of the citizens can reap the benefits of this nation. It isnt fair or right for others to come in, disregard our laws but take advantage of the benefits. I am so sick of the "we all are immigrants crap" My mom immigrated here legally. Why can't everyone else?
Jamie, you have a funny way of thinking about Hispanic, well, really about Mexicans! We (Mexicans) come to this country to have a better living as your ancestors did. We are not criminals! We come here to work. I am a U.S citizen and feel sympathy for all those that come from different places to work for low wages and in dangerous conditions. They just want to offer their family a better living. Isn't that what your ancestors decided to do when they came to this country? Europeans not only wanted a better living, they wanted it all. They stipped the Native Americans from their land and gave them what the Eurpeans didn't want. Not only that, following "Manifest Destiny" Europeans headed West, leaving their mess behind. Not only did they strip the land away from Native Americans they also took advantage of Mexico by taking a number of states like California, Texas, Arizona etc.
I don't see you writing about the law being the same to everybody. FYI there are Europeans that a
This topic frustrates me to no end, you really have no clue. For one, I hate that she is being used as the poster woman representing immigrant families, even those who have come legally and abide by ALL our laws. She is NOT who they want representing them. Second, Arellano is clearly a confused and misinformed woman, breaking and enforcing laws, she claims the US broke the laws not her, are two entirely different things. I hate it when tours are given in Pilsen and include a stop at the church she hid out in, complete with candles, mexican flags and the praying. Immigrants deserve someone else speaking on their behalf.
i have to agree with what heather's comment on this one. i hadnt heard about this issue before your article. thanks, jamie
Even our criminal ancestors were imported in a controlled fashion -- they were mostly sold as indentured servants. Which is what illegal aliens make themselves into when they get here, even though it's not under the auspice of government! - and who does that help? The big business that wants cheap labor and doesn't care about legality. Heard about the employment crunch in the West right now? I imagine it traces directly to the crackdown on illegals. If the laws don't work, change 'em, don't break 'em. If you want to live in America, stand in line like the rest of your law-abiding countrymen do.
We are a nation of immigrants, but we have laws regulating immigration. People should follow those laws like our ancestors did.
Jamie, just remember that we are a nation of immigrants, all of us. Many ancestors of our fine citizens were criminals in their home countries. Who are we to balk at the next generation following in our venerable ancestors' footsteps? (You and I need to have a debate one day. :) )