[ollie]

She comes here illegally gets deported, comes back, works in an airport CLEANING PLANES using a fake SS # (thats not a danger is national security), has a kid, (no mention of the father) gets deported again and I'm supposed to feel bad?

Sorry. Ain't happening.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - An illegal immigrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year to avoid being separated from her U.S.-born son has been deported to Mexico, the church's pastor said.

Elvira Arellano became an activist and a national symbol for illegal immigrant parents as she defied her deportation order and spoke out from her religious sanctuary. She held a news conference last week to announce that she would finally leave the church to try to lobby U.S. lawmakers for change.

She had just spoken at rally Los Angeles rally when she was arrested Sunday outside Our Lady Queen of Angels church and deported, said the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where Arellano had been living.

"She has been deported. She is free and in Tijuana," said Coleman, who said he spoke to her on the phone. "She is in good spirits. She is ready to continue the struggle against the separation of families from the other side of the border."

Her 8-year-old son, Saul, is now living with Coleman's family. During a news conference in Los Angeles after Arellano's arrest, the boy hid behind the pastor's wife and wiped away tears.

Arellano had said on Saturday that she was not afraid of being taken into custody by immigration agents.

"From the time I took sanctuary, the possibility has existed that they arrest me in the place and time they want," she said in Spanish. "I only have two choices. I either go to my country, Mexico, or stay and keep fighting. I decided to stay and fight."

Arellano, 32, arrived in Washington state illegally in 1997. She was deported to Mexico shortly afterward, but returned and moved to Illinois in 2000, taking a job cleaning planes at O'Hare International Airport.

She was arrested in 2002 at O'Hare and convicted of working under a false Social Security number. She was to surrender to authorities last August but instead sought refuge at the church on Aug. 15, 2006.

She had not left the church property until she decided to travel by car to Los Angeles, Coleman said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed her Sunday arrest. Spokeswoman Gail Montenegro said the agency would have further details on the deportation later Monday.

Arellano is staying with a friend in Tijuana, Coleman said. He said she had brought to light her struggle, and for that, "she has won a victory."

"She'll be organizing on the Mexican side of the border while we're organizing in the (United) States," Coleman said Monday. "She'll be talking to organizations throughout Mexico and congressmen in Mexico City."

Coleman said he and other activists will continue Arellano's original plan to go to Washington, D.C., and take part in a prayer meeting and rally for immigration reform at the Capitol on Sept. 12.

Immigration activists promised protests and vigils to support Arellano.

"We are sad, but at the same time we are angry," said Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano. "How dare they arrest this woman?"

Anti-illegal immigrant groups said the arrest was long overdue.

"Just because the woman has gone public and made an issue of the fact that she is defying law doesn't mean the government doesn't have to do its job," said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors limits on immigration.

Arellano has repeatedly called for a stop to immigration raids that break up families with some members who are in the U.S. legally and others illegally. She has said her son would be deprived of his rights as a U.S. citizen if he had to go to Mexico simply because she did.

Emma Lozano, Coleman's wife and head of immigration rights group Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, said she was Saul's legal guardian.

"He's taking it better than we thought he would," Lozano said.

While being arrested, Arellano spoke briefly with her son before submitting to authorities, Lozano said.

"She calmed him down, hugged him and gave him a blessing," Lozano said.

___

Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen and Michael Tarm in Chicago and Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

[Twombles]

Dude, I thought you meant your own mother... hahaha
I'm studying The Outsider - Camus, and have been for the past 3.5 hours straight, immediately though about that. The guy doesn't give a sh*t about his own mother's death.

[Jetzz]

Upon reading the thread title I too thought you were talking about your own mother. I was thinking that heartless SoB....

Hard to feel bad for her. And I'm sure she will be back. Third time is the charm they say.

[KOZ]

Good to hear that your mother is staying put.

Well, as a father of a small child, if anything I'd sympathize that with the child that he is now being separated from his mother. That's a terribly traumatic experience for any kid. Hell, there was a period of a couple of weeks where my son would cry if my wife just left the room.

As it relates to the kid, this situation sucks because now he has "the system" to take care of him.

[ollie]

Originally Posted by KOZ

Good to hear that your mother is staying put.

Well, as a father of a small child, if anything I'd sympathize that with the child that he is now being separated from his mother. That's a terribly traumatic experience for any kid. Hell, there was a period of a couple of weeks where my son would cry if my wife just left the room.

As it relates to the kid, this situation sucks because now he has "the system" to take care of him.

Maybe a mod can change the thread title...

I do feel bad for the kid... not his fault... the story however was about the mother... really didn't say much about the child

[AlioTheFool]

I agree that the kid is the unfortunate victim in all of this (not to mention American taxpayers that have yet another illegitimate mouth to feed...)

I love this part though:

"We are sad, but at the same time we are angry," said Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano. "How dare they arrest this woman?"

To quote the GEICO caveman, "Uhh, what?"

How dare they arrest a criminal? A repeat offender no less?

Yeah, how dare the authorities do their job.

F immigration reform, the more of these stories I hear, the more I want to just close the borders, and tell the rest of the world to go F themselves. And kick every damn illegal out today.

[JetBlue]

"She has been deported. She is free and in Tijuana," said Coleman, who .

now, shouldn't this read "She is free but in Tijuana. the and kind of infers that being free and being in Tijuana are equally desirable, but nobody in Tijuana is happy to be there except sailors and donkeys.

[ollie]

Originally Posted by JetBlue

now, shouldn't this read "She is free but in Tijuana. the and kind of infers that being free and being in Tijuana are equally desirable, but nobody in Tijuana is happy to be there except sailors and donkeys.

Tijuana being a dump is Mexico's problem... not the United States

[brothermoose]

Originally Posted by ollie

Tijuana being a dump is Mexico's problem... not the United States

WRONG...its the US citizens' presence there that makes it that way...well, it is Mexico's problem, but its the US's fault.

[VickBlows]

I was just thinking...I can't remember if I turned off my bathroom light this morning???

[brothermoose]

Originally Posted by VickBlows

I was just thinking...I can't remember if I turned off my bathroom light this morning???

Ahh, I see, so you're American Indian?

[PMCRW]

where were her friends to stand up for her and take her case to Washington like that high school kid???

[VickBlows]

Originally Posted by NJJets

Ahh, I see, so you're American Indian?

No – I don’t own any casinos

[brothermoose]

Originally Posted by VickBlows

No – I don’t own any casinos

Just Buicks from the '80s?

[VickBlows]

Originally Posted by NJJets

Just Buicks from the '80s?

Only thing I have from the 80’s are my Poison tapes and a hole in my septum.

[xjets2002x]

I think we could stop this kind of thing if we got rid of our ridiculous policy of "birthright citizenship." We're one of the few countries who allows for birthright citizenship, where a woman crosses the border pregnant, pops out a kid, and makes the entire family eligible for social benefits.

-X-

[Jtuds]

At the end of the day, if you're breaking the law, you're rbeaking the law.....so shit happens.....I have broken the law and if I got caught I wouldnt expect ppl to feel bad for me

[AlioTheFool]

Originally Posted by Jtuds

At the end of the day, if you're breaking the law, you're rbeaking the law.....so shit happens.....I have broken the law and if I got caught I wouldnt expect ppl to feel bad for me

Come on man, apples and oranges.

I can outrun the mounties too.

[Royal Tee]

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