If you've been reading here for very long, you've "met" Jose. If you've been around for several years, you'll remember how Jose and his cousin, Monica, while high school students, were picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to be deported to Mexico. Jose and Monica have been through a lot. Their status and situation call for passage of the DREAM Act. Brought to the United States by their parents as minors, they, and countless other young persons, face deportation every day.
Several weeks ago, my friend Jose journeyed back to Mexico by order of the immigration court here in Dallas.
Jose knew no one really when he left home here in the U. S. He managed to arrange for housing in the home of a relative he doesn't really know. The small town where he "lives" offers no employment options, no higher education, no real community life that he feels apart of.
What is very present every day in this fine young man's life is danger.
Here's an email message that I received just last week from Jose:
Good morning Mr James, I was only contacting you to let you know that yesterday March 1st I got beat up when I was on my way to one of my uncles house I had only been driving less than 5 minutes away from home and I got stopped by a truck and four guys started hitting me and warn me not to mess with them and that I didn't know who they where. The good thing is that I'm fine and at home thank God. Ill keep you updated of my situation. Jose
Jose sent me these two photos documenting the assault that he described in his message to me.
I'm not understanding the policy of our nation when it comes to fine young people like my good friend, Jose.
Pray for Jose.
Research the DREAM Act.
Contact your congressional leaders and the President.
Speak up for passage of the DREAM Act, as well as comprehensive immigration reform. I don't think the average American understands what is going on around these important issues.
[To read more on this site about Jose and his struggle over the past several years use the search tool on the page or for starters read the entries for these dates: 3/11/07, 3/13/07, 4/13/07,7/16/07, 7/19/07, 10/25/07, 1/4/08, 3/3/08, 4/21/09, 8/19/11, 8/21/11, 8/23/11, 10,17,11.]
And I know you tried to gain the ear of some of our elected officials about this issue who would not even agree to meet with you over this.
ReplyDeleteAnd, it is not an "issue." It is about people; real, living people, like Jose.
How do some of our elected officials sleep at night?
Randy Mayeux
Dallas
This is criminal. I thought our government had at least temporarily stopped this. Tragic. I will forward this to my congresswoman.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gentlemen. I appreciate you both.
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrifying result. Do you know if anything can be done? Does he have any available options for returning legally?
ReplyDeleteKen
Dallas
Ken, I have contact info for his attorney here. I really don't know.
ReplyDeleteKen, I have contact info for his attorney here. I really don't know.
ReplyDelete