Elvira Arellano arrested by "La Migra"!

Convicted criminal Elvira Arellano has been arrested by ICE in downtown Los Angeles. Apparently Telemundo is trying to rile up their audience, but La Opinion only has a brief report (laopinion.com/supp2/?rkey=00000000000002163320).

Will this result in massive riots as supposed Americans who put their race ahead of their country join with foreign citizens who are here illegally to support attempts by some to refuse to abide by our laws? Or, will it go largely unnoticed except by those outside the far-left who'll stage a few small protests? Will corrupt priests like Cardinal Roger Mahoney rally 'round Elvira, or will they decide that for the sake of their little remaining credibility it's best to leave the issue be? Did ICE do this to show that no one is above the law, or did they do it in order to provoke a reaction from the left and use that to get the amnesty they want?

I suspect that come tomorrow people will respond to the name "Elvira" by saying, "You mean, the horror movie presenter?", but we shall see.

UPDATE: "Immigrant Rights Activist Elvira Arrellano Arrested in LA -- Solidarity Actions in Chicago Tonight and Tomorrow" (chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/79065/index.php). Hopefully Democratic politicians won't let the community down and will decide to stand in solidarity with Arellano and in support of massive criminality.

8/20 UPDATE: She was deported to Tijuana late last night (laopinion.com/primerapagina/?rkey=00000000000002166700), and will continue the struggle from the Mexican side of the border. "Citizen Saul" remains in the U.S. with Emma Lozano. U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Bobby Rush will be pushing private citizenship bills. The final paragraph of the article notes that CHIRLA ("Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles"; allegedly has collaborated with the Mexican government) is urging people to express their outrage... by calling Julie Myers of ICE. La Opinion - always willing to help out - even includes her phone number.

Note to GOP and Dem politicians: wouldn't supporting Elvira be a great way to reach out to the Hispanic vote? Many hacks have said that in order to get that supposed vote it's necessary to support amnesty; what difference is there really between that and supporting Elvira? Many or most of those who would have been amnestied are guilty of working under a false Social Security number, with some going even further than Arellano did and engaging in identity theft. The only thing unique about her is that she was unlucky enough to be caught and convicted.

If you're going to support millions of unconvicted lawbreakers in a corrupt plea for votes, surely supporting just one convicted lawbreaker shouldn't be a problem, right?

UPDATE 3: As always, Biff knows best! Please, Democrats, heed his call and stand up for immigrants rights.

UPDATE 4: Unfortunately, so far support from the "mainstream" left appears to be a bit lacking. Patty Kupfer - head of The Sojourners' Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform - offers a sympathetic post (blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/08/sanctuary-movement-activist-ar.html) and links to their magazine, which features her on the cover (sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0709&article=070910a). And, Atrios says (atrios.blogspot.com/2007_08_19_archive.html#8506770275171716290):

You know, there are aspects of the immigration issue where I think well-intentioned people can have wide disagreement on, but I just can't think of any good reason to support the deportation of the parents of American citizens.

Meanwhile, an unknown party has posted a diary entry wondering why John Edwards isn't jumping on this issue.

UPDATE 5: I called attention to this page that Emma Lozano and Arellano wrote (somosunpueblo.com/Unify_and_Focus.html) before (cached here), but I think this is a good paragraph to throw back at anyone foolish enough to support her:

We have taught that our people did not come here because of the American Dream but because of what the American nightmare did to our countries of origin. We have asserted that our demand to be here and to be fully enfranchised here is a right not a privilige and a destiny of our people to transform this nation.

UPDATE 6: The useful idiots/peacenik collaborators at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is "gravely concerned" other her deportation, claiming that she was "ripped away" from Saul (link). In fact, she can always take him with her. Christian Ramirez, an "AFSC national immigrants' rights coordinator", met with her in Tijuana. Their release ends with:

Instead of giving free rein to repressive worksite raids and other punitive enforcement measures, this country needs constructive immigration policies that enable Elvira Arellano and other undocumented parents to remain with their children and find a path to legal residency and citizenship.

Based on her quote above, you might say it's her manifest destiny to get on that path.

Immigration2007b · Sun, 08/19/2007 - 17:45 · · Importance: 1