November 14, 2006

Citizen Saul Arellano gets anti-deportation resolution from Mexico

Saul Arellano is the seven-year-old son of Elvira Arellano, who's currently holed up in a hole-in-the-wall Chicago church in defiance of a court order to appear to be deported. Saul was recently taken to Mexico and appeared before their Chamber of Deputies (House) asking them to lend their support to his effort.

To the surprise of none, they complied and have passed a resolution asking the U.S. Congress to avoid deporting not only Elvira Arellano, but all other illegal aliens who have U.S. citizen children:

...If the U.S. 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, who lived in the United States for 33 years and has an American daughter and granddaughter...

...[Vicente 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."

Needless to say, this illustrates the problems not only with illegal immigration, but with guest worker schemes as well: those guests would have U.S. citizen children, and the same techniques would be used to keep "guests" from having to go home.

Contrary to what the linked article by Julie Watson of the AP implies, it's not just "conservative columnists and anti-illegal immigration activists" who think Arellano should be deported, but both major Chicago newspapers. They realize how much damage this case could do to their support for illegal immigration. I'd say we rub as much salt as possible into their wounds by continually discussing that this case illustrates how much we need to enforce our immigration laws and avoid (at the least) long-term "guest" worker schemes.

Posted to Immigration at November 14, 2006 05:20 PM

Comments

No problem. Revoke his citizenship. Deport them both. Togetherness is beautiful, wave the Mexican flag together in front of the TV cameras in Mexico city. Send Mexico the bill for every deportation, all the costs of illegals in prison here. Reimburse us for all the unpaid hospital bills. Payback all the stolen social security monies. Since Saul enticed a foreign government to encourage further violation of our laws, that makes him a criminal, too. Apple never falls far from the tree, does it? Deport them both, along with the Priest. Be sure to get their prints first, because they will both be breaking in again, soon. Here's my "resolution" to Mexico. MYOB, Buzz off, Butt out. Pay us back the stolen billions and come collect your little hard working criminals.

Posted by: Jeebie at November 14, 2006 06:36 PM

...this case illustrates how much we need to enforce our immigration laws and avoid (at the least) long-term "guest" worker schemes.

Not to mention stopping ridiculous birthright citizenship. And this giant loophole in the whole 'guest' worker idea -- that in many cases the 'guests' will have children who will, as things are now, automatically be citizens and so make the 'guests' awfully difficult to get rid of -- definitely needs to be publicized more, this case being a good vehicle for that.

Posted by: eh at November 14, 2006 06:55 PM

Birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens is based on a misinterpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Posted by: perroazul del norte at November 15, 2006 07:05 AM

"Not to mention stopping ridiculous birthright citizenship."

Yes. Isn't it odd that the 14th amendment didn't apply to American Indians, who were declared citizens in the 1920's, but is applied to the children of illegal aliens?

Posted by: D Flinchum at November 15, 2006 09:16 AM