Phoenix Immigrant Mother - Arrested, Deported . New ICE Policies

By ASTRID GALVAN and JACQUES BILLEAUD

Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) - An immigrant mother in Phoenix granted leniency during the Obama administration was deported to Mexico Thursday in what activists said was an early example of how President Donald Trump plans to carry through on his vow to crack down on illegal immigration.

The case of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos became a rallying cry for immigrant groups who believe Trump's approach to immigration will unfairly tear apart countless families.

Her arrest prompted a raucous demonstration in downtown Phoenix late Wednesday as protesters blocked enforcement vans from leaving a U.S. immigration office. Seven people were arrested.

Garcia de Rayos said on Thursday evening that she didn't regret her decision to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite knowing she'd risk getting arrested.

Garcia de Rayos spoke from the Kino Border Initiative, a soup kitchen and shelter in Nogales, Mexico, where many migrants go after being deported. Her U.S.-citizen children were by her side, their first time in Mexico, their mother said.

"I'm doing this for my kids so they have a better life. I will keep fighting so they can keep studying in their home country," she said. "We're a united family. We're a family who goes to church on Sundays, we work in advocacy. We're active."

Garcia de Rayos was deported around 10 a.m. from a Nogales border crossing and ICE worked with Mexican consular officials to repatriate her, agency spokeswoman Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said in a statement. She said her case underwent a thorough review that determined the 35-year-old mother of two children with U.S. citizenship had no "legal basis to remain in the U.S."

"ICE will continue to focus on identifying and removing individuals with felony convictions who have final orders of removal issued by the nation's immigration courts," Pitts O'Keefe said.

Read the entire piece.  http://www.nbc-2.com/story/34462698/several-arrested-as-deportation-fear-prompts-phoenix-protest

The Mexican government said in a statement on Thursday that Garcia de Rayos' deportation is the "new reality" immigrants face in the United States.

Mexico's foreign relations department said that her removal is an example of more severe immigration enforcement.

Officials warned other Mexicans in the U.S. to be cautious, aware of their rights and to stay in contact with their local consulate.

She came to the U.S. from the Mexican state of Guanajuato when she was 14 and has two children who are U.S. citizens, said the Puente Arizona immigrant advocacy group based in Phoenix.

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Associated Press writers Paul Davenport and Bob Seavey in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Students Arrested in Georgia- Dream Act

Atlanta (CNN) -- Seven students were arrested Tuesday after staging a sit-in at an Atlanta intersection, blocking traffic in a symbolic effort to raise awareness about a controversial immigration issue.

Georgina Perez, Viridiana Martinez, Jose Rico, Dayanna Rebolledo, Andrea Rosales, David Ramirez and Maria Marroquin were arrested nearGeorgia State University. [IRN Note: Check their website for live streaming: http://www.livestream.com/tdic ]

"We want to show the people that we are undocumented and we're not afraid," Marroquin said.

All are [SIC] illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as young children, they said, and were protesting the lack of support for the Dream Act in Congress.

The bill -- which was defeated in December 2010 -- would have given children who have grown up in the United States an opportunity to earn citizenship despite their family's immigration status.

Georgia's public colleges have adopted policies that officials say will prevent [SIC] illegal immigrants from attending five high-demand schools and from being admitted ahead of legally and academically qualified residents at the rest of the state's public institutions of higher learning.

Nativo Lopez arrested - again

If my father's case would have taken it's previous course his next court hearing would have been July 12, 2010 at 8:30am in Department 36 of the Los Angeles Superior court in front of Commissioner Kristi Lousteau, but earlier this week he was notified via fax by the imposed public pretender that the Los Angeles, District Attorney, Steve Cooley wanted to move forward with a Grand Jury indictment, which was granted the next day. He was ordered to surrender on the indictment today and heard before Judge Patricia M. Schnegg this morning. The direct orders from his court appointed and imposed public pretender were bring a bondsman, attorney and be present or an arrest warrant will be issued.

It's no mystery to me now why I woke up this morning with extreme pain in my heart and tears rolling down my face I had no recollection of what I had dreamt all I knew was that I felt horrible. Being that I have always been extremely close to my father and a direct witness to his many years of dedication and self-sacrifice to our society for the betterment of and for workers, immigrants, and students and for this I believe he is being targeted and bullied into the court system. One of the millions maybe even billions of victims of the courts tactics of bullying and intimidation by the forced attempts of submission to their jurisdiction and order.

This isn't the first time my family has gone through this and ironically the California Secretary of State has been involved in both matters. I had never so clearly witnessed how corrupt and volatile of a supposed justice system we face in this country, but this experience has opened my eyes to the way so many of our brown and black brothers and sisters are passed through the courts as if they were cattle for profit and indeed they are. The system is to the point of ruin and manifests itself as a big charade of Judge, District Attorney, Public Defender, and Bailiff (and in my father's case at some instances more then three or four Bailiffs), all working together to pass the cattle through with explicit and consistent violations of 14th amendment procedural due process rights.

Immigrants rights activist Nativo Lopez arrested

Nativo was arrested today
at his Mental Competency Hearing,
Next Court Date
March 26,
1150 N. San Fernando Rd.
Los Angeles, CA An Open Letter

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

This morning Nativo Lopez, was arrested during his mental competency hearing and held under Contempt of Court, he will have another hearing tomorrow morning at the same location mentioned below, (1150 N. San Fernando Rd. Los Angeles, Ca Dept 95.)

He is being held with the most dangerous prisoners and was forced to get naked and watched and video taped by three female guards. He has decided to begin a hunger strike. We need your help and support during this moment and need help spreading the word. Please notify any media and come out and show your support. This is extremely unjust and we must get him out of prison and make everyone aware of what is going on.

Thank you for any questions or concerns please call
(714) 483-9137, Taina Lopez or
(714) 920-5452, Maria Rosa Ibarra.