November 17, 2006, - 12:30 pm
Why Won’t ICE’s Julie Myers Deport Elvira Arellano?: Well Past Time to Raid the Church
By Debbie Schlussel
Remember all the outcry over the House Immigration bill (legislation which is now all but dead)? Critics shrieked all over the place about criminalizing those who help illegal aliens. We were told that innocent members of the clergy could go to jail for giving a sip of water to an illegal alien fresh from the parching desert.
Well, now, we see why priests and rabbis (and definitely, imams) must not be immune or considered untouchable by authorities. Exhibit A: Elvira Arellano, now a resident of Chicago’s Adalberto United Methodist Church.
An illegal alien, she got here after illegally crossing into the USA in 1997, and has been here ever since. Like many illegal aliens, she used a false social security number so that she could work as a cleaning woman at O’Hare International Airport (a security risk? ya think). She was ordered deported, but has lived at the Methodist Church since August 15th, the day she was supposed to surrender for deportation.
Arellano is a textbook study in the usual problems with U.S. Immigration law and the unwillingness of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to enforce it.
When she was caught and convicted of working under a false Social Security number at O’Hare, she wasn’t immediately deported. Nope. Arellano was permitted to stay here so she could serve three years of probation. Only after that was Arellano ordered to appear at the Chicago ICE Detention and Removal Operations office in Chicago for deportation.
And, like many illegal aliens, Arellano gave birth to an anchor baby. Her son, Saul Arellano, has no father in his life, like many illegal aliens’ anchor babies. Seven years old and a U.S. citizen by virtue of birth here, he lives with Mommy at the church, when he’s not on international speaking engagements.
The way Ms. Arellano is using her son is disgusting. She’s produced signs that say, “Don’t Let the Migra Take My Mommy Away.”
This week, Saul, a 2nd-grader in our tax-supported schools, was in Mexico City getting the Mexican Chamber of Deputies to pass a resolution calling on America to stop deporting illegal aliens who have U.S. citizen children. Saul and his mother claim she should not have to choose between leaving her son or taking away his opportunities here.
But she made that choice long ago. She made that choice when she crossed the border illegally. She made that choice when she stayed here illegally. She made that choice when she used a false social security number. She made that choice when she took a job using that false social security number. She made that choice when she had sex with Saul’s father, whoever he is. And she made that choice when she gave birth to Saul on U.S. soil.
Elvira Arellano made several choices, all of them deliberate. It has been up to the U.S. for decades to make the right choice and match other countries’ immigration laws, under which illegal aliens’ children do not get automatic citizenship merely because of the luck of birth location. Congress has not made the right choice, and hasn’t emulated those laws.
Now, it’s up to ICE officials to make the choice to enforce immigration laws, which so far ICE chieftess Julie L. Myers a/k/a “The ICE Princess” won’t.
There is no reason–but for wimpitude in the face of likely bad press–for ICE to allow Elvira to remain a fugitive in the Adalberto United Methodist Church. There is no legal sanctuary from immigration enforcement in churches, synagogues, mosques, ashrams, communes, or any other such place of worship.
ICE and Homeland Security spokespeople told the press that there is nothing to prevent them from arresting Arellano. So why the heck haven’t they? By refusing to do so in the face of bad publicity they are making that the de facto law.
Gail Montenegro of ICE told AP that “We will arrest and deport her as required by law at an appropriate time and place.”
That time was anytime after August 15th, when Elvira Arellano didn’t surrender, and the place is the Methodist Church. Time for ICE to show us they’re serious.
Otherwise, expect churches, synagogues, and mosques to become the new Motel 6s of illegal aliens under deportation orders.
They’ll leave the light on for you.
Tags: Adalberto United Methodist Church, America, Chicago, Chicago's Adalberto United Methodist Church, Congress, Elvira Arellano, Julie L. Myers, Julie Myers Deport Elvira Arellano, Methodist Church, Mexico City, O'Hare International Airport, Peltor Tactical 6-S Headphones, Princess, Saul Arellano, Son Saul Arellano, United States
C’mon now, Debbie; are you REALLY asking this question, or do you know the answer already?
Let’s face the facts here, folks: Julie Myers is just about on her way out – With the Dems now in power, her re-nomination as Assistant Secretary is all but about to go bust (just like her uterus when she gives birth in December/January); why “ruin” her “glorious” tenure as Assistant Secretary with negative publicity, a lawsuit and unemployability in the private sector with a messy botch job involving a church and a government agency? In addition, speaking of the Dems, do you really think they are not going to try to curry favor with the immigrant community by telling ICE to “stand down” and just let the situation fester? Do you think that the Dems want another mess like what happened with Elian Gonzalez under Clinton/Reno? HELL, NO !!! The Dems are going to try to do everything they can to appease, cover up and hope this mess blows over (given the VERY short memories of the American voter). Bee the bye, do you think that ANY ICE Special Agent or DRO officer wants ANYTHING to do with this mess? I personally know one of the legacy INS agents sued in the aftermath of the Elian affair, and his life was on hold for three (yes, folks, THREE LONG, F**KING) years living with the stress that comes with a constitutional tort claim breathing down your neck. NO, THANKS, Debbie !!!
In conclusion, you are absolutely right in that Ms. Arellano broke the laws – both administratively AND criminally. You are also absolutely right in that ICE (and, to be fair, here, DOJ) do not want to do their jobs in enforcing/prosecuting her (and others similarly situated) because it is either not “sexy” enough or too politically sensitive to pursue. So, as ICE Special Agents are bailing out of this abortion of an agency in SPADES, you need to look no further than this situation to get one of your significant answers (besides lack of leadership, lack of mission and lack of adequate funding) as to why.
Negligent at a minimun, and damn well near criminal. It doesn’t get any worse than this, folks.
4EVERCUSTOMS on November 17, 2006 at 2:22 pm