How many legal immigrants are we deporting?

*Part of the problem is that  there is no right to legal representation for immigration proceedings. ICE is secretive about its statistics so there’s no way of knowing how many deportees may have been residents. VL

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By Susan Stellin, Los Angeles Times (3 minute read)

My partner, Graham, became an American citizen last month — six years after the government tried to deport him. He’s originally from Scotland, came here legally and obtained a green card in 1999, but was ordered out of the country because of a misdemeanor conviction for drug possession.

Graham spent five months in immigration detention before a judge ruled that he could remain in the U.S., a harrowing experience that still haunts him today. Because detainees without documents are usually deported quickly, many of the people he was locked up with had some legal status — though few rights as they fought to stay with their families.

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One man he befriended was an electrician from Philadelphia who was eventually deported to Northern Ireland because of a bar fight . . .  READ MORE

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[Phot courtesy of Wikimedia]

Suggested reading

In Mi sueño de América / My American Dream, young Yuliana Gallegos recalls her move from Monterrey, Mexico, to Houston, Texas. Initially excited about moving to Houston, where the huge freeways make her feel like she’s on a roller coaster, her excitement quickly wanes when she starts school.

Everything is different at Yuli’s new school, and her discomfort is magnified by her classmates’ stares. “They looked me up and down as if I was from another planet and not from another country.” And to make matters worse, she learns that in spite of studying English in Mexico, she can’t understand anything that’s being said. All she wants to do is go back to her school in Monterrey.

Yuli poignantly records the fear and anguish experienced by all immigrant children as they strive to adjust to a new language and culture. With the help of a compassionate teacher, a Japanese girl who becomes her friend, and her own determination to excel at school, Yuli gradually learns to speak English and feel comfortable in her new environment.

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