Carmen in Arid Zone

Tapping Unlimited Potential Encouraging Minorities and Underrepresented Communities to STEM

2014-07-08T18:34:00.001-07:00

We STEM supporters are aware of the importance of STEM education and the benefits it brings to Arizona’s economy and that of America and its future. We strive to invite students to dive into the areas that will bring incredible knowledge and stronger job opportunities for their future. Great efforts and programs have being initiated in our communities but in order to be inclusive and tap all the creativeness and ingenuity available to us, we must allocate efforts to include often unrepresented communities in STEM education.

Women, people with disabilities, African American, Hispanics, and Native Americans do not have the numbers of individuals involved in many STEM fields where we need their visions for the future and contributions. We understand a successful field is one that is inclusive with opportunities for all.

This is especially critical for Arizona, which is set to become a minority majority state soon where the make-up of the young population, our future labor force, is different than previous generations.

How can we help to incorporate everybody into STEM fields? Having wonderful statewide programs like the Arizona SciTech Festival, which inspires individuals of all ages and levels to consider and enter STEM fields, is one of the components for success along with the work of our educational institutions, from K-12 all the way to college, providing the instruction and academic rigor needed to succeed. Researchers of STEM education point out the importance of setting specific outreach programs that target specific underrepresented populations. Here in Arizona we have great organizations and individuals who dedicate their efforts to share the gospel of STEM to all.

These efforts make the news and make us all proud. They demonstrate that every student, no matter where she or he is or where he/she comes from, can set their minds to achieving higher goals; and expectations can accomplish anything… with a little help from the community.

DREAMers, DACA Grantees Return to Maricopa County Community Colleges with In-State-Tuition

2013-01-04T10:41:00.001-08:00

In what is considered one of the most important milestones for DREAMers in Arizona and across the nation, the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition will be celebrating Monday, January the 7th the return of immigrant youth, DACA grantees, to Maricopa County Community Colleges (MCCCD) with In-State-Tuition.

This situation comes as a reversal of bad policy on the immigration-education landscape of Arizona and it is a sign of hope for the economic future in the State and the nation, thanks to DACA.

After the passage of prop.300 and implementation of anti-education, anti-immigrant laws in Arizona, the enrollment of undocumented immigrant youth, DREAMers, to higher education institutions collapsed. There was no ban in place but the cost of education, which tripled by out-of-state fees, was put out of the reach of immigrant families.

With the announcement by president Obama on June 15^th granting Deferred Action for persons who arrived as children to the USA (DACA), a door was open for those who apply for this process, get a work permit, to request In-State-Tuition at Maricopa Community Colleges.

Maricopa Community Colleges is the largest Community Colleges System in the nation.

Since 2007, when Arizona’s Prop 300 took effect and the state began to keep track of undocumented students, it has come evident the number of undocumented students attending state’s universities and community colleges has fallen dramatically. Read this article by journalist Griselda Nevarez. 1,524 students who were attending one of the three public universities in 2007 were not able to prove a legal status. The number of students in this situation had dropped to 13 by the spring 2012 semester.

There were 1,470 students who couldn’t prove a legal status and were attending the state’s community colleges in spring 2007. By 2012 that number had dropped to 882. Most of these students were only taking one or two classes at a time.

“In the past years we saw a collapse participation of immigrant youth population in community colleges and Universities, in spite of the talent dreamers had demonstrated when they graduate from high schools, being top of the class and valedictorians. It is an absolute waste of human resources and talent”, said Dulce Matuz, president of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition. “We are not seeking special treatment; we are only striving for a leveled plain field. We are taxpayers too and we support education through our taxes, some of us for decades”, said Matuz.

To be granted In-State-Tuition at MCCCD is necessary for the DACA grantees to present the work authorization card (I-766) and another document that demonstrates their residence in Maricopa County. This is the set of documents that may be presented (scroll down to County Residency).

The move from MCCCD granting In-State-tuitions came, in great part, to the pressure dreamers and advocates had put to MCCCD when all venues for affordable education were closed during the spring of 2011. Dreamers had been able to access classes with in-state-tuition when taking one or two classes due to a special administrative classification in place for many years back. ADAC members protested MCCCD and held many private meetings into the reasoning behind closing the last administrative venue for affordable tuition. Read this article on the series of protests.

So far in State-Tuition in Arizona is only attainable at Maricopa County Community Colleges District (MCCCD). We advocates are encouraging Arizona Board of Regents and other Community Colleges in Arizona to find legal tools and grant IST to DACA grantees.

Top Arizona DREAM Moments of 2012

2012-12-25T15:32:00.002-08:00

The end of 2012 is a great time for reflection on the events that changed the lives of approximately 80,000 to 100,000 immigrant youth in the state. There will be other lists for top moments at national level but these are our Arizona’s best.

1.-DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). It wasn’t because one day President Obama decided to be nice with the embattled DREAMers. It was a calculated political move plus the result of DREAMers across the nation pressuring POTUS. The ADAC participated in the Right to DREAM Campaign, protesting in front of ICE’s offices and engaging the White House through social media. Efforts came on different fronts, using different tactics. 96 Law professors across the nation signed a letter to President Obama stating “Yes, You Can” give reprieve from deportation to DREAMers in response to President Obama's reluctance to use his executive powers to alleviate the DREAMers' situation . More on the letter to President Obama here. Arizona State University Professor Evelyn Cruz was one of the signatories to the letter. This “DREAM Act light” was the most significant victory in the immigrant rights movement in a generation.

2.-In State Tuition at Maricopa County Community Colleges. One of our biggest victories. Legal Department and authorities at Maricopa County Community Colleges District (MCCCD), one of the largest colleges systems in the nation, were quick to find legal justification to offer In-Sate-Tuition to DACA grantees. This move was in spite of Jan Brewer’s executive order denying Arizona IDs and Driver’s licenses to DACA grantees. MCCCD kept the list of documents for in-state-tuition that was in place since the times of Prop. 300 implementation. Governor Brewer, in an authoritarian move, changed the list of documents for granting Arizona State IDs and Driver’s Licenses eliminating the working authorization (I-766).

The quick and resolved response from MCCCD authorities came thanks to the intense protesting and scrutiny the previous implementation of out of state tuition policies got since April 2011. Long story short, we DREAM advocates put pressure on MCCCD in public and many, MANY, private meetings to show our displeasure on the disappearance of all reasonable tuition fees for immigrant youth. Here is an article on the series of protests by journalist Gregory Pratt.
The tuition hike came with subsequent collapse of the enrollment of undocumented students and the near collapse of some programs.

MCCCD was able to turn around the situation, find common sense, courage and offer a hopeful alternative for higher education that will benefit Arizona's future work force.

3.-The Arizona DREAM Act Coalition v Janice Brewer. In an effort to pander to the GOP mostly white, old extremist base Gevernor Jan Brewer eliminated the work permit given to DACA beneficiaries from MVD’s list of valid documents for Driver’s Licenses and IDs. Jan did it not for electoral benefits but for future personal economic gains (the afterlife of wagging-finger-at-the-tarmac Governor signing books and juicy speaking engagements). Even more distasteful, she issued her executive order the same day DREAMers celebrated USCIS launching of the DACA process on August the 15^th, 2012. ACLU Arizona came to the rescue and slapped a lawsuit along with ACLU National, MALDEF and NILC with the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition et al as plaintiffs. Members of ADAC, among them CADENA, SUFFRAGE, I DREAM, QUIP and others participated defining the lawsuit. The move was highly anticipated. The authoritative action (we call it bullying) against young people found complete silence from GOP figures at local and national level. Here is an article from Terry Greene Sterling on the issue. Now Michigan DREAMers are following our footsteps filing a lawsuit in their state.

4.- No DREAM Deferred-NDD. With more than 1000 DACA applications submitted through the workshops and countless orientation for DACA applicants, NDD Coalition deserves a spot on the greatest Arizona DREAM moments of 2012. NDD is an all volunteer and free service to young people coordinated by DREAMers from ADAC with the invaluable professional help of AILA Lawyers plus other partnering community organizations. Great collaboration and team work in spite of the monetary limitations.

5.- Dulce Matuz, One of the 100 More Influential Persons in the World by TIME Magazine.

It was a great recognition of Dulce Matuz’s leadership (an ASU electrical engineer graduate and Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics alumna) but also national recognition of the DREAM Act movement en Arizona. She is the first to point out the volunteer work and many sacrifices of all the active members of the movement who contribute to her effective leadership.

Bonus top moments!

GED enrollment for DACA applicants. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals came, for DREAMers who had not completed High School, with an opportunity to engage in education though enrollment on GED programs. In spite of the many challenges this subgroup confronts it represents hope to young people to attain legal presence, work permit and a platform where they may construct personal educational improvement. It would benefit individuals, families and the overall community.

Civil Rights Center-Department of Education Federal Complaint Against MCCCD. The tuition hike mentioned on top moment number 2 brought scrutiny from community members and specially Silverio Garcia of the Civil Rights Center. MCCCD was treating Undocumented Charter High School students like community college students and submitting them to harsh immigration-education policies. K-12 students are protected from legal status inquiries. CRC opened the door for the Department of Education to intervene. Ruling is still pending but it was a great experience in advocacy, tools we can use in the future and returning some power to the community. Here is an Arizona Republic article on the issue.

Undocumented Youth on Time Magazine.

American Citizens in waiting article featured amazing Arizona advocates Erika Andiola and Christian Lira among the national stars line up. Another signal the DREAM Act movement have reached the notoriety from a little known legislation back in the day I started to advocate. Click for the TIME magazine cover and article here.

Don't Let Them Behind. 465 dollars can be a lot of money for immigrant youth, limiting for some the opportunity to apply for DACA. Fortunately an anonymous donor contacted Chicanos por la Causa to start a fund providing the USCIS- DACA application fees for DREAMers in need. CPLC is reaching out to the community to grow the fund. I have been privileged to participate in the creation of the effort and witnessed DREAMers getting their checks to USCIS for their application. However, there is a lot of need for more funds like this to be created around the country. Start one ! Click here to donate !

Happy New Year 2013!

New GED Test Scheduled for January 2014 and How It Will Affect DACA Applicants

2012-12-18T07:59:00.003-08:00

Undocumented youth have confronted many roadblocks in their lives, especially in education. Negative immigration-education policy and laws meant to deny undocumented students access to higher education gave some an excuse to drop out from high school. Some, regrettably, did not see the point of graduating from High School after the continued failure of Congress to pass the DREAM Act at the federal level. High School dropout rates are a problem all over the country which affects Hispanics, minorities and immigrant populations in disproportionate numbers. Bad immigration-education policy only makes things worse.

With the introduction of the process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the opportunity to enroll into a GED program to qualify for application, GED education experienced a sudden increase on demand. Click here for an article on the demand for GED instruction.

GED stands for General Education Development. The test is administrated by a division of the American Council on Education. Click here for a link to their site. The administrators are updating the test to spring testers into advancing their education into college and will convert the official GED test to a computer-based version. The service states that the new test "is no longer an endpoint for adults, but rather a springboard for further education, training, and better paying jobs."

For potential DACA applicants it means GED enrollment, preparation and test taking will need to be done before the end of 2013. Any module taken will not count unless the whole battery of test is completed and certification obtained by then. If the student had only completed certain modules, he or she will need to start all over to comply with the new test on 2014. Also new fees will be on effect.

This is what the Arizona Department of Education is posting on its website.

Do Not Harm: DACA Applicants and The Threat of Medical Deportation

2012-12-02T22:54:00.002-08:00

Even though Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals has provided relief for thousands of DREAMers across the nation apparently putting the fear of deportation away, advocates were reminded of the fragility of this policy in States like Arizona with a new case post DACA.

Rocio Almanza, a DACA applicant married to an American citizen, got gravely sick 1 day shy of her biometric appointment and started to experience seizures. Rocio was taken to Banner Dessert Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona. A possible brain infection was diagnosed. She was in a medically induced coma for days and when she started to wake up, the hospital was pressuring her husband, Christian Solorio, into a medical deportation. The hospital suggested the cost of her rehabilitation by a skilled nursing facility was too much for the uninsured young couple and told Christian his only option was to send his wife during the weekend to Mexico.

Christian Solorio, who had started to fundraise online to pay for the medical care of his wife, was desperately contacting friends and family and thanks to Ileana Merary Salinas got in touch with CADENA, an all volunteer organization member of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition.

We understood the need for a decisive action to prevent the deportation. Back in 2007 we sadly experienced the medical deportation and subsequent death of Joe Arvizu. Read the story here. He slipped away in front of our eyes back in the days where we were confused about what to do to confront Arizona’s harsh anti-immigration laws. Tragically, an untimely lock-down at Joe’s High School prevented teacher advocates from reaching Joe’s mom before he was sent in an ambulance to Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico.

There is lack of federal funding to assist undocumented immigrants in medical emergencies but State laws make the situation worse.

In Arizona strict laws prevent the use of public funding by undocumented students. HB 2008, was signed into law in 2009 as part of the 2010 state budget. This law is a wide-ranging bill intended to verify the immigration status of nearly everyone who comes into contact with state government, including vendors, contractors and employees.

This law affected a wide list of state agencies including Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System the Department of Health Services, etc. and compromised the care of undocumented immigrants (mostly young people) in hospitals in Arizona. Under these circumstances the hospitals suggested and were successful in medically deporting undocumented immigrants.

Thankfully in Rocio Almanza’s case we were contacted and were able to request Lawyer Delia Salvatierra to immediately intervene on a Saturday morning. We also understood the need to make the case public and call the attention on this horrendous “medical dumping” practice. Media outlets are interested and will share this story soon.

Deferred action won't completely stop the threat of deportation for young immigrants. Even a patient with legal status could be in danger of being medically deported. Advocates need to remain vigilant to denounce this immoral practice.

When DACA and SB1070 Collide

2012-11-19T20:36:00.002-08:00

Cesar Valdes, a (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) DACA applicant and active member of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition, was detained Thursday, November the 15^th, 2012 by a Phoenix Police officer and arrested, following the SB1070 playbook. He was dropping off his younger brother at school that morning.

Cesar was stopped for allegedly driving with an expired license plate and subsequently failing to produce a driver’s license. He became suspect to be in the country illegally, enough reason in Arizona to be locked up and sent to dreadful 4th Ave. Jail, the realm of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies. He spent that night among hard core criminals. Later, a fight broke up inside the jail. Thankfully he was unharmed but big and tall Cesar confessed he was really fearful.

This event brought out reality to immigrant youth, DACA applicants and grantees, who were reminded once more of SB1070 and Governor Jan Brewer’s executive order to deny DACA grantees of an Arizona Driver’s License. Click here to read the article from the Arizona Republic on the executive order by Governor Brewer.

Cesar stated repeatedly to Phoenix Police Officer he was a DACA applicant and was not subject to deportation anymore. The police officer went ahead anyway. Cesar spent 22 hrs. at 4^th Ave. Jail, his mug shot taken with the footnote “failure to show AZ driving license, ID “ as an explanation and posted on the Maricopa County Sheriff Office (MCSO) website which shows the public how Joe is “tough on criminals”.

Cesar believes he could have been released a couple of times during the process, one when he was in front of the city judge, who declared being confused by the circumstances. Finally, Cesar was released upon being transferred to ICE jurisdiction. His arrest and detention exposed bad policy: the diversion of law enforcement resources into a deportation case that proceeds no longer.

Sadly, even DACA grantees (since Arizona will not be granting driver’s licenses) will be safe from arrest and hours of detention. We may see legal challenges in the future due to this attempt to single out beneficiaries of legal presence. But at ADAC we question what the point is in harass, humiliate and put in danger young persons who had entrust our system by bringing forward their personal information through deferred action?

The license plate issue? It was a mistake of Arizona Motor Vehicle Division which failed to update his information.

The Baker

2012-10-20T19:24:00.001-07:00

Today I found Chino. Or Chino found me.
He was neatly dressed with a crisp blue shirt, vest, slacks and shiny black shoes. Polite, assertive and inquisitive. He had all the necessary documentation to demonstrate his presence in the USA since his arrival in a neatly organized binder. He had done a better job collecting info than most applicants, yet his school records were missing.
He works as a baker all night. Since he came to the USA at age 15 he has been his family's breadwinner. His English is limited and needs to access GED in Spanish classes urgently. Here is one of the few available GED classes in Spanish in the Phoenix Metro area.. He represents a minority of DREAM Act youth and for now Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applicants: most potential candidates have gone through the school system and are fluent in English, but not Chino and some few more.
His situation present several challenges. USCIS produced DACA information in Spanish and this is the link but most of the assumptions is that DACA applicants access the information in English and our volunteer, advocate efforts are focused on English speakers. We only explain in Spanish for the parents.
In the last 6 months I only heard of 3 cases of immigrant youth that hadn't have instruction in Spanish among the hundreds of young immigrants I come across. This is not scientific assessment but just anecdotal.
On cases like Chino's we advocates need to step up to the challenge and provide extra guidance, caring support.
I connected with him through e-mail. Thankfully he is not illiterate and has basic computer skills. He always ends his e-mails sending me blessings.

I will make sure that, in spite of his limitations, he gets on the right track: GED first, then English lessons, simultaneously DACA and possibly more. I hope he will be willing to follow my advise.

Integrity and Intensity

2012-09-18T10:38:00.002-07:00

GED seekers are confronting serious obstacles in Arizona. The State Legislature has been cutting Adult Education budgets to the point of starvation and Prop.300 denied public funding for undocumented youth since 2007. The remedial high school certification landscape is a difficult one for citizen and undocumented immigrants alike.

Many persons who are reaching out to me seeking information for GED instruction are young mothers in their early 20s who dropped out of high school due to pregnancy and now find difficult to find GED instruction to re-enter education. USCIS willingness to accept enrollment to GED programs for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants without a High School diploma is suddenly increasing the demand and urgency for GED classes by these individuals.

Here is a list of challenges GED seekers are finding in Arizona and specially Maricopa County:

Decreased funding. GED instruction has been severely de-funded. In 2010, Governor Brewer signed a budget that eliminated the $4.5 million appropriation for Adult Education and GED Testing. When Arizona eliminated this GED funding, it also lost $11 million in matching funds from the Federal government.

On line classes. Some GED outlets at Community Colleges only offer on-line classes to undocumented youth which may be a challenging setting for low proficiency students.

Students with different levels of proficiency. GED instructors need to assess
different levels of proficiency. It may take real commitment and monetary investment
from some students to make up for lost time, acquire a GED certification and then
apply for DACA.

Bureaucratic barriers. Community colleges in Maricopa County (one of the largest in the nation) took time to implement new Arizona Department of Education’s ID policies and their own internal guidelines and denied GED instruction to some, especially during the first weeks after August the 15^th. Some Community Colleges’ personnel in Maricopa County are not properly trained to offer consistent, non-intrusive enrollment procedures and question about immigration status, SS#.

Different programs, funding and models create confusion. Non-profits are creating their own models to offer tuition based GED programs for people seeking to apply to DACA and comply with Prop. 300 at the same time.

Potential for fraud. Some organizations, charter schools are charging up to 4,500 for “High School Diplomas”; others offer “too good to be true” on-line classes. It may be difficult for immigrant youth to assess the adequate “intensity and integrity” of a GED, High School competition program, putting the burden of proof on the undocumented youth for DACA purposes.

Uneven production of enrollment documents to apply for DACA. GED outlets are still figuring out the production of documentation and receipts helpful for DACA applicants.

DREAM Act volunteer non-profit organizations, CADENA, The Arizona DREAM Act Coalition and Tucson based Scholarships A-Z are taking the task to guide GED seekers in order to have a better educated workforce for the state and to have young immigrants, so many times forgotten, applying for DACA.

Arizona’s Prop 300, its Effect on GED Seekers and Future DACA Applicants

2012-09-12T11:24:00.003-07:00

About two years ago I was asked by a non-profit organization to craft an advocacy agenda on education issues since my work for the DREAM Act eligible youth is well known in Arizona, and immigrant youth is such an important part our education system and communities. One of the issues I brought up to the surprise of my fellow board members was the concern for Arizona’s high dropout rate among Hispanics and the need to make stronger efforts promoting the integration of those individuals through GED certification programs.

According to a 2010 study by Migration Policy Institute (MPI) around 100,000 undocumented youth live in Arizona, at different educational levels. Currently Arizona has an average High School completion rate of 72.5% being the Hispanic community the one with the highest percentage of High Schools drop outs. One of the factors that without doubt influence the below national average completion rates for High School is that many of the students attending K-12 education are undocumented and get discouraged to continue their education by the implementation of anti immigrant laws that put barriers to accessing post-secondary education.

In 2007 the Arizona voters passed Prop. 300, one of the first state anti-immigrant laws to target the education of undocumented students. Prop 300 denied state funding for undocumented students and practically tripled the tuition to post secondary education for students that could not prove legal status in Arizona. Other of the lesser known educational elements this proposition affected was adult education.

DREAM Advocates like myself always tried to encourage young immigrants to finish their High School and obtain a diploma since K-12 education has been protected by Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe and our knowledge of the effects of Prop 300 on remedial tools as adult education, GED instruction certification and post secondary education in general.

President Obama’s announcement on June 15^th 2012 granting legal presence to undocumented young immigrants though Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the subsequent guidelines issued brought a new and sudden interest in GED education. Now the minimal educational requirement for DACA applicants is a high school diploma or a GED. According to USCIS guidelines and interpretation from practicing immigration lawyers, young immigrants can apply to DACA when they can probe they are enrolled in a GED program.

Suddenly this tool for remedial certification became important for many. Demand overwhelmed the current GED outlets, burdened by the limitations imposed by Prop 300. Institutions and non-profit organizations have been revising their models for offering GED to future DACA applicants and at three months of the DACA announcement, slowly started to increase the number of GED classes On Line and in regular classroom settings. Institutions have been revising enrollment, funding and id requirements in order to be compliant with prop. 300. Due to Prop. 300 GED programs in Arizona are not being offered for free for people who cannot prove legal status. State money is not being allocated for these classes.

The Arizona Department of education has issued guidelines to ID requirements when the GED classes and tests are being paid for. Young immigrants seeking GED instruction and certification in order to apply for DACA have being confronted with unscrupulous organizations or businesses that offer instruction for high price and which accreditation is questionable. Established GED outlets from community colleges and school districts are starting to offer tuition options, some of them making extraordinary efforts to offer instruction for an affordable cost.

Using social media tools DREAM Act advocates like myself, are communicating these options for GED seekers since we have little to no-resources.

In spite of the obstacles we are determined to integrate more young immigrants to the GED instruction so they can apply to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process and increase the educational level of this segment of the population. This is an opportunity we all can benefit from.

Follow GED updates on Fabebook searching: GED in Maricopa County.

For some, GED key to avoiding deportation

2012-08-12T07:51:00.001-07:00

I'm quoted on this article about the importance of the GED for attaining eligibility on deferred action, For some, GED key to avoiding deportation

DREAMers Entrepreneurs in Arizona

2012-05-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

Arizona DREAMers, after experiencing first harsh immigration laws and policies have found the way to work along with the system, succeed and move ahead.
We have been proactive offering to Arizona DREAM Act Coalition's ( ADAC) members Small Business training and showcase the new Small Businesses to the group so more are inspired and get ready to start their own.
There is also an emphasis within the group in the creation of high tech businesses.
Thanks to Univision and Ma. Antonieta Collins for meeting with ADAC and share with the nation this story of hope and economic development by young people.

The Importance of Knowing Your Rights and How We Stopped Marco's Deportation

2012-01-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Marco and Gabriella are a young couple. She is a bright and well spoken American citizen, he is an undocumented immigrant without an accent. He came as baby to the USA.
A Scottsdale police in an unmarked vehicle one night stopped the car where Marco was a passenger. He and his citizen friend were carpooling to work.
Marco was asked for his I.D. and gave too much information during the street interrogation. (Marco could have been more prepared if he only had read CADENA's Know Your Rights brochure that you can download and print here. I supervise its content). The police officer let both of them go after getting Marco's job place information.
Weeks later, the same police officer stops by Marco's work place.
He gets accused of criminal impersonation for using a false Social Security Number.
Gabriella does what most will and puts all her trust on a criminal lawyer who unfortunately was not very informed on immigration law and suggest his client to plea bargain for a reduced sentence.
In Arizona it is very easy for immigrants to lose immigration opportunities due to a criminal record, since the passing of laws designing to criminalize undocumented workers charge them with the highest penalties possible, making them ineligible for deferred deportation.
Prosecutors at the Maricopa County Attorneys office tell Gabriella, point blank, they know what legal tools the federal administration has given the lawyers for releasing immigrants and that they know how to invalidate them. These legal tools come with the exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion (PD in legal lingo). This PD focuses on the deportation of the criminal element of our communities, not on workers with invented Social Security numbers or broken taillights.
While Marco spends months in detention for the "crime" he plead bargain for, awaiting immediate deportation after his release, Gabriella contacts me and seeks help, realizing the ignorance of their previous lawyer only made certain her husband's deportation.
First move I suggest: Get a competent immigration lawyer. I gave her three names of lawyers I trust for their knowledge and for keeping up-to date on latest immigration procedures. Also they are really good in working on several fronts: the legal and the advocacy side of the fight.
Second, I put her in contact with Genie Zavaleta who holds the key to our friends in Washington who can present cases in front of ICE for Prosecutorial Discretion to be implemented.
After long days of non-stop negotiations and back and forth, our Washington ICE connections gave up on Marco's case. The penalties Marco sign up during the plea bargain process were too steep for PD. I though Marco was a lost case.
Delia Salvatierra, the expert immigration lawyer Gabriella choose among the names I provided, pulls another legal recourse and after an agonizing day full of bad news, Gabriella announces her husband is being released with Deferred Action.
I was able to hear through the phone the joy and celebration at Marco and Gabriella's home as the family gathered. This was a great Christmas present for CADENA.

Please go to CADENA's web-site www.dreamactaz.org to find information related with Know Your Rights and educational opportunities for DREAMers.

Looking back: Best Idea of 2011

2012-01-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

No doubt a great idea was partnering with Reyna Montoya creating YEA! --Youth for Education in Action- that took the most awesome team in the world Reyna Montoya, Maxima Guerrero, Brax Lopez and all the volunteers to participate in the Mesa special election of 2011.

Outcome. Phase 1: 300 + voter registrations, mostly young people. More than 180 voters were registered on the Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL). Phase 2: More than 3,000 doors were knocked in Mesa District 18 on low propensity precincts inviting people to vote.
We also were on the news several times! Best outcome of all: Russell Pearce the "creator" of SB1070 and Prop 300 was voted out in spite of sham candidate Olivia Cortes. It seems to me that YEA! will survive time and place and can be a valuable platform of civil engagement.
Click here to see YEA!'s work.

Great Moments in 2011

2011-12-31T11:05:00.000-08:00

I corresponded some years ago with "Franko Music", a DREAM act student who wanted information on the Legislation. Years later a friend of his tells me he is in detention. His "crime": not to set a foot on the ground (a complete stop for a motorcyclist) in an intersection. Dulce Matuz, ADAC Chair and I, go around Maricopa County Sheriff Office and ICE- Phoenix to see where he is being held while making calls to coordinate a quick campaign. Genie Zavaleta works the connection with DC. State Legislator Catherine Miranda contacts local ICE officials.

Before attending CPLC Esperanza Awards (all decked up) we get the word he would be released. (Don't even have time to write a constant contact e-mail and start a campaign). Franko is released the same day of our intervention. You can see Franko here at time of his release. I always wanted to liberate persons in high heels.

Tucson DREAMer.

Great team work saves Juan Manuel Munoz from deportation. Lawyer Jose Penalosa, always ready to help DREAMers, provides all the professional help. Thanks to advocates Matt Matera, Yadira Garcia and friends in Tucson we coordinate a quick case.
I felt so honored to have Congressman Grijalva's office monitoring the situation and offering help.

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During 2011 I was happy to continue supporting DREAMers initiatives like Carla Chavarria's I DREAM Campaign and Angelica-goes- to-Washington with press releases and pro-bono work by Critical Mass Communications, LLC.

This is More on Carla's I DREAM Campaign.

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How can I forget? I owned Paris for two and half weeks ! Thanks MEGA.

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Complete sadness: Maricopa County Community Colleges (MCCCD) raised their tuition, pricing out DREAMers and some citizens out of higher education. Yes, part of the Pearce legacy. More damaging, they plan to implement an obscure law HB2008 full extent, full force, extreme interpretation. Thanks to hours and hours of pestering the Board, Chancellor and Machiavellic general counsel, Lee Combs with my friend Daniel Rodriguez we managed to tone down some of the implementation of HB2008 (like asking the immigration status of students riding vans to student' congresses). Next semester 5,000+ students dropped out of the Maricopa system.

If you ask Mr. Combs, he will deny he intended to ask MCCCD student's immigration status " on a case by case scenario".
To this date, the press, nobody cares about it. #couldhavebeenevenworse.

______________

ADAC protests the Maricopa County Community College Boards for pricing out DREAM Act students taking 1 to 2 hours. I run a national campaign to ask the Chancellor to re-consider. Great help from Jackie Mahendra and team from Change.org. At least we take it national and it is not an unknown pain. Sadness, anger.

Students paid good money for their education. They will take their money other place. A grear option is State Legislator Catherine Miranda's Manzana Foundation partnering with the Navajo Technical College.
Potential lost estimated for MCCCD: FTSE 2,265 Revenue $3,222,777.00 ( I think it is even more as now).

___________

Thanks to educational devastation created by MCCCD's Legal Counsel Lee Combs, we kind of figure out there were a lot of things going wrong at the Community Colleges. I replicate the craft of the journalists (my friend Gregory Pratt comes to mind) and I start requesting information to MCCCD invoking Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It opened a new world of possibilities and learning. POWERFUL tool. Now, I know too much (I should be killed). #Iwanttoknowmore! BUT #nobodycares!

__________

Carl Hayden Robotics continues kicking robotic butt. So honored to work on their press releases and know in advance how they are going to be profiled on the media. Very proud of student leader Maria Castro (profiled in a CNN special) Dulce Matuz (a robot named after her- welcome to the club!) and all the past, present and future Falcons.

____________

I got a phone call. An ASU student's best friend is in detention. Did an intensive research in a matter of hours. Great, beautiful young lady. Got really upset since she was about to get transported to Florence or other of the detention holes (I know what might happen there. If you do not know, read this study by UofA).I get determined to get her out QUICK. Sent my constant contact online petition. Great help from Mohammad Abdollahi to make the petition GO NATIONAL. Nallely is out by the evening. (Michelle Dallacrose has been gaining weight ! Haha).

____________

Starting 2011, we were able to save Pedro Gutierrez from deportation thanks to Mohammad Abdollahi, Lawyer Mo Goldman, the great ADAC and Pedro's mentors. Here is one of the many media clips on Pedro and the awesome PR job.
So honored to have coordinated the campaign (even when I was shivering with fever and the flu).

__________________

I'm looking forward 2012 for more advocacy and great times !
Good bless you all, dear readers!

Arizona's Special Election and the Unfolding Everyday Drama

2011-10-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever a State Senator President is being recalled and a new election is set for November the 8^{th, 2011.}

The State Senator is not other than Russell Pearce, an early proponent of many anti-immigration l laws that have been copycatted in many states and had devastated Arizona’s economy. He is infamous for pushing SB1070.

Russell Pearce is not only bad for the immigrant and minority population but he had slashed education budgets K to 12, colleges and universities to record lows, affecting all and sabotaging our future In Arizona.

He has introduced the most ridiculous laws like "birthter" bills and made the Colt AZ official’s gun at the time when the economy in the state is in shambles.

Mr. Pearce is notorious for his associations with neo-Nazis groups and recently the media had disclosed his participation on the Fiesta Bowl Scandal where he took illegal gifts and junkets.

State Senator Russell Pearce is one of the most divisive public figures and a well-known bully who intimidates people, even inside his own party, who forces elected officials to follow his extremist agenda. He is notorious to rally support to extremist candidates to eliminate moderate Republican voices from the Legislature.

Now that he has being recalled and the election on Nov the 8^th will take place he has planted, with the help of tea party activist and even members of his own family, a Hispanic woman candidate to divide the vote and confuse Latinos.

Olivia Cortes , has been called to testify on her candidacy and has stated she doesn’t know who paid a petition gathering company to put her in the ballot, does not know the volunteers who are posting signs, or where the supports for her campaign comes from in spite that she handles treasury.

In an unprecedented move probably unique at this time in the nation, and for the sake of the well being of Arizona, the Democratic Party has agreed not to put a candidate in the hopes that a unifying Republican, Mr. Jerry Lewis, can win in which may be one of the most conservative districts in the nation.

New information comes every single day about this election. We are keeping our sights on November the 8th.

If you live in Mesa District 18th participate in this important election. If you are not registered to vote, a group of students will be registering new voters Wednesday October the 5th and Thursday October the 6th at Mesa Community College from 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. by the clock tower.

Why Ban When You Can Price them Out???

2011-08-22T10:08:00.001-07:00

It is like an euphemism. Do not ban undocumented students from Higher Education just price them out. On the day Community Colleges classes start in 10 institutions in the Metro Phoenix area, members of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition and Education Advocates mark with sadness the elimination of affordable tuition rates for out of state students.

Last March Maricopa Community Colleges District (MCCCD) approved a tuition hike close to 230% targeting “Out of State” individuals including, but not exclusively, undocumented students which already made countless sacrifices to pay for one or two classes each semester.

MCCCD is one of the largest Community Colleges systems in the nation.

“Out of State” students taking six credits hours or less (one or two classes) paid last semester 96 dollars per credit but under the new policies implemented, MCCCD is charging 317 dollars per credit or about 1000 dollars per class even if they take limited schedule. Students taking more than six credits have been already paying triple “In State Tuition” for years already.

Before the tuition hike 1 to 6 credit hours was the little window of opportunity for affordable higher education undocumented students had in one of the largest community colleges systems in the nation.

Beside the tuition hike, MCCCD voted for a harsh interpretation of laws that require the reporting to ICE and DHS of undocumented students by the institution that students are supposed to trust. The financial and admission department’s personnel are forced to report on the immigration status of the students if they disclose it. The powerful and influential Legal Counsel threatens jail time to not complying personnel.

The process in which these changes were implemented was done in secrecy, with original implementation taskforces disappearing and other political interest groups supplanting a cross-section of the departments that deal with enrollment.

The implementation of these measures is contrary to the financial health of MCCCD because they will lose income from thousands of students dropping out and now it takes more personnel time to check on the paperwork of ALL students. Also new forms have been printed, new processes established and hasty personnel training given to have the appearance of compliance also adds to the costs of implementing flawed policies.

The MCCCD board has, in short, betrayed its own mission of providing access to higher education.

The new policies are also affecting programs that MCCCD had in partnership with K-12 institutions including ACE, dual enrollment, and its own charter schools, which prepared students to move into post-secondary education. The reporting issue is also present in these environments, possibly violating Federal laws.

This situation we live in Arizona is contrary with the well-being of the State. Our State will not have a globally competitive workforce if higher education affordability is eliminated for thousands and thousands of students.

What happens in Arizona is also a cautionary tale of the spreading tentacles of a battery of immigration laws passed over a period of time.

Closing the Door of Education in Arizona

2011-05-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Education in Arizona is having its SB1070 moment and this time there is no Judge or ruling that can come to the rescue.
Since the passing of laws like Prop.300 and several more intended to get rid of undocumented students in Arizona, a policy called attrition through enforcement, the number of immigrant students participating in higher education has been dwindling dramatically from around 1500 students on public universities in 2007, to only 106 in 2010 according with an article by C ronkite News.
Many of these students and freshmen sought access to education through Community Colleges, which thanks to a tiered tuition system charged 96 dls. per credit hour.
However on March 2011 the Maricopa Community Colleges Board voted to increase 230+ % the tuition for "per credit" classification, hitting undocumented students with a hike that puts higher education out of their reach. That decision came through a random revision of a law called HB2008 which relates to public benefits in the state. This law is highly encompassing, vague and troubling and was believed to affect primarily hospitals.
The consensus previous to the hike was that the MCCD was following the law and acting its due diligence to comply.
An internal memo from the colleges acknowledges there was not statutory language requiring the Colleges to restructuring the tuition system or affect or implement changes but an over zealot lawyer, Mr. Lee Combs, drove this decision.
The lawyer's interpretation took administration to order denying access to undocumented students to school related travels for the use of a bus paid with "public funding".
That is when panic started to take over. The decision to raise the tuition was bullied into administrative personnel, MCCD board members, the Chancellor Mr. Rufus Glasper, afraid of an hypothetical backlash of conservative members of the community.
Everyone started to get along with the interpretation of the in house counsel, Mr. Combs aided by the support of Minutewoman Board Member Debra Pearson which made a motion on the Board.
Activist engaged in talks to several members of the Maricopa Community Colleges District and discover several troubling situations:
.The meetings that lead to the change in policy were held away from key administrative personnel and in an unusually speedy manner.
.There was never a detailed tuition cost analysis for regular and on line classes.
.There was never an analysis of the impact of the interpretation of HB2008 on the community colleges program.
.There was never a list of the programs affected by the interpretation of HB2008 or the effect on enrollment.
Officials at the MCCD estimate than 5% of the student population or between 6,000 -8000 students will be affected by the tuition hike and most likely not return to the system. Most of the affected may be out of state citizens, persons in the process to obtain a legal status, snow birds living in Arizona.

Carmen Visits The Lou Show and Talks About the DREAM Act

2011-04-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

Lift the Torch

2011-04-17T02:38:00.000-07:00

Pedro Gutierrez led the crowds and lifted the torch of freedom on the Phoenix Martin Luther King Parade.
He could have been doing so many things that day.. many... like packing his belongings, maybe retreat to his place in shame or bitterness since the following day his deportation had been scheduled, but he decided to attend the Parade. "It was crazy", he said, "I chose to go to the parade".
Lewis and Jane Storey found my name and phone number on Facebook thanks to a lead provided by Luis Avila, hoping I will be able to help Pedro Gutierrez and save him from deportation. The Storeys have been mentoring Pedro for years touched by his story of good behavior in spite of tremendous odds. Being brought undocumented by his grandmother (who had legal status) after his parents wasted their lives lost on drugs. Grandma was later unsuccessful making connections with more relatives in Mexico when she fell gravely ill. When she dies, leaves Pedro at 11 at the care of her African American husband, who abandons him before Pedro becomes an adult.
In spite of the abandonment, Pedro dreams to follow his step grandfather's life in the military and sought recruiters to join. His legal status prevents Pedro to enlist but relentless he "trains" along the new recruits.
Getting all the details on Pedro and his touching story I asked my fellow CADENA members for their permission to use the list of supporters and request their action with phone calls and faxes asking DHS to stop Pedro's deportation. I also connected with Mohammad Abdollahi from dreamactivist network who made possible connections at national level, even finding a terrific Tucson lawyer, Mo Goldman, who took the legal side of Pedro's defense pro-bono. It was an exciting week where we put together a national team with the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition (which took care of the media events and rallies for Pedro), Adam Luna from America's Voice with the social media resources to send on line faxes and extensive distribution list, Mo from Dreamactivist network, CADENA, Lawyer Mo Goldman and the Storeys.
Thanks to the actions of many subscribers to our networks, DHS delayed the deportation date and granted Pedro Gurtierrez eventually deferred action.
Pedro now can be without fear, as long as this administrative procedure is in place.
On Saturday I saw Pedro and the Storeys in Casa Grande along with other students ready to form The Arizona DREAM Act coalition of Pinal County. Hearing Pedro recount of what he thought was his last hours of his life in the USA before being thrown into homelessness, made my own petty life disappointments dwarf by his experience.
"I chose to go to the parade... people recognized me and asked me to lead the Martin Luther King parade...gave me the the torch. What I thought was my last day of my life in the USA was the best day of my life. I could gave everything up for those moments when I had the torch and all would have been worth it".
So I wake up in the middle of the night and I think of Pedro and I get reminded: "live your life like you are going to be deported tomorrow". Lift the torch and lead the parade.

Secrets

2011-04-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

As an advocate sometime people share personal information that I need to keep secret.

There are a lot of things that I keep for myself, minding at all time the best interest for the DREAMers and the DREAM Act advocacy.

I have been given the go ahead to reveal one of the many secrets and now I let you all know Oscar Vazquez has enrolled in the army and will finish basic training in June. This is just an example of the sense of patriotic duty the dreamers have in their hearts. If you follow the DREAM Act advocacy in Arizona, you will remember his story.

Oscar Vazquez was member of the team who beat MIT in the MATE underwater robotics competition and was famous around the world thanks to the article "La Vida Robot", by Joshua Davis. The article was the single most clicked article online on Wired Magazine and was reprinted in Readers' Digest editions in several languages in many countries. Read the original article clicking here.

Notoriety followed.

Watch the ABC Nighline video piece on the mighty Falcon robotics here.

After successfully completing a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, Oscar left the country, self deported, frustrated by the lack of action of the federal government and in search for legal venue for re-entry.

It was a gamble, because there are no legal or administrative roads to officially do this. But Oscar and his young family, Karla and Sammy, where ready to endure the hardships. Please read the AZ Republic article on his self deportation here.

I knew of Oscar departure after some weeks he had been living in Mexico. I knew some persons, including some VIPs, were requesting DHS his re-entry but nothing happened.

I decided to look for support in different congressional offices starting for the obvious in Arizona. I was flatly turned back at Ed Pastor's office where they explained only in cases of extreme hardship (i.e. a citizen wife with a malignant cancer in her head waiting for the re-entry of an undocumented husband to assist her and the children ) will be considered. There was no consideration to economic hardship or separation of father and sons, daughters, husbands and wives.

I turned to Raul Grijalva's offices who were a little more sympathetic and willing to explore the possibility but I do not think anything came from it.

I decided to connect with the office of Senator Richard Durbin from Illinois, mayor proponent of the dream act at the national level. That was when things started to move in the right direction.

I was going back and forth exchanging e-mails with Durbin's excellent staff, which arranged meetings with DHS to petition Oscar.

Although it seemed clear to me the impossible may happen, the "legalization" of Oscar Vazquez, Mohammad Abdollahi from Dreamactivist.org confirmed what I suspected in his characteristic unassuming way. " Hey, Carmen ! do you know that Oscar Vazquez is coming home?", he said.

But the family did not wanted all to know until he was actually here. For weeks that seemed like years I kept the secret. Then he finally came home.

Today, Oscar has been away for basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky; since Feb 1, 2011. He went in as a Specialist (Spc) thanks to his BA in Mechanical Engineering. He is a Cavalry Scout/Infantry.His family will be reunited with him again on April ready to face their new adventure.

Dreamer in Detention

2011-03-29T06:55:00.002-07:00

Just as I was getting ready for a dinner party on Saturday, I got a phone call from a young woman who was looking for help for a friend. Somebody had giving her my number and was seeking support for Nallely, who had been stopped and detained a day earlier for a minor traffic violation and had an unpaid ticket in her record.

I promised to get back the next day. I spent Sunday and Monday reconstructing the life of Nallely Farman, sorting through the confusion of her legal name and the name she goes for. It took me several phone calls to have all the facts straight.

There were aspects of Nalleli's life not totally clear to her mother so I also tracked down her friends, asking for more details.

Nallely is a great person. She has a list of community involvement activities that is really remarkable.

She has been a good student all along. She is a former ASU student and a Community College Student.

The thought of a nice,cute girl jailed, subjected to invasive "body searches" if she ends up in Eloy or Florence is really upsetting to me.

On Sunday I got the support from Mohammad Abdollahi from Dreamactivist.org and now the story of Nallely is going national.

Please click here to sign the petition to save Nallely from detention, and possible deportation.

http://action.dreamactivist.org/nalley/

Are Hispanics Only Aspiring to be Gang Members?

2011-03-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Dear State Senator Klein,

I was very disappointed to read on the Arizona Guardian your comments on the Senate floor quoting a letter from a supposed educator. On it implied that we Hispanics only have aspirations to become gang members and we disregard education.

http://www.arizonaguardian.com/azg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3057%3Asen-klein-quotes-letter-calling-latino-students-gang-members-and-gangsters&catid=958%3Anewsfp&Ite

Your lack of understanding and knowledge of our (your) community is appalling.

Let me probe your ideas are mistaken.

Last Saturday the Carl Hayden Robotics Team won the FIRST Robotics Arizona Regional that included teams from Arizona, California, New Mexico, 2 teams from Mexico, etc.

Carl Hayden is about 90 % Hispanic.

The Carl Hayden Falcons beat teams of higher income High Schools with students whose parents are college graduates.

Some of the Carl Hayden Team members are undocumented immigrants and all are from low income families.

Along with this big win for the Falcons, another majority minority team from Tolleson offered an spectacular performance and was awarded a pass to the international competition.

Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics will be representing Arizona in the international competition.

These wins are just an example of the continuous successes of our Hispanic, minorities and low income communities.

I demand a public apology for your mistaken words and characterization of our talented youth at the AZ state senate floor along with a recognition of the teams on the Arizona State Legislature.

FYI: This is the Falcon's robot in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fiw9PZ2E08&feature=player_embedded#at=20

Here is the press release:

Press Release
March the 21 st. 2011

MEDIA CONTACTS

Maria Castro: mariac467@gmail.com

602) 312 4886

Carmen Cornejo:carmen0402@aol.com(480)324-6378

Falcon Robotics

Wins the 2011 FIRST Robotics AZ Regional

CNN Captures the Big Win for a "STEM in America" Special

What: Carl Hayden Falcons wins of robotics competition

Best mentor: Fredi, Lajvardi

Best student: Eduardo (Eddie) Fernandez

Best robot design

The Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics Team, which has been profiled on Wired Magazine, the TV show Nightline, and international editions of Reader's Digest, among others, won the 2011 FIRST Robotics AZ Regional this weekend. This event reunited more than 40 teams and from Arizona, California, Mexico and New Mexico.

FIRST is an acronym: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The name of the 2011 Robot is "Dulce's DREAM", to honor Dulce Matuz, a Carl Hayden High School alumni who is an undocumented electrical engineer graduate from ASU.

The Falcon Robotics team also got the awards for Best mentor, Faridodin Lajvardi; best student, Eduardo (Eddie) Fernandez and best robot design. The team also won the competition by wide points margins and to cap it off four Falcon Robotics team members recieved W.W. Graingers scholarships: Gerardo Rodriguez, Ramon Balerama, Glenda Maldonado, Mike Kanaly.

The Falcon Robotics team will be representing AZ in the Championship that will take place in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis , MO, April 27th-30th 2011.

Dulce Matuz is an inspiration for the members of the team. She continues to participate with the Falcons, offering her technical and fundraising skills, as well as encouragment to the students.

Dulce Matuz, who graduated in 2009 from ASU, actively assists the neighborhood FLL (First Lego League) teams which introduce elementary and middle school students to robotic technologies.

Dulce is a strong advocate for the DREAM Act, and she meets with elected officials at the federal level to promote this legislation that, if passed, will provide a path to legalization for undocumented students brought to this country as minors, like her.

The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an event that teams professionals and young people to solve engineering design problems in an intense and competitive way. The program is a life changing, career-molding experience in a fun and positive environment framed by "gracious professionalism".

This year the game for the competition is called LOGO MOTION ^® . In the game, two alliances of three teams compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with poles, attempting to earn points by hanging as many triangle, circle and square logo pieces as possible. Bonus points can be earned for each robot that can hang and assemble logo pieces to form the FIRST logo. Robots can also deploy Mini-Bots to climb vertical poles for a chance to earn additional points.

FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) Arizona Regional unites teams from High School and their mentors to construct a functional robot in six weeks that can perform certain tasks pre-established by the game . Students participate on the design, construction, testing, and operation of the project as well as other activities like promotion and fundraising. The competion provides the students a hands on experience in the field of science and technology.

Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics team will also participate on a new CNN documentary hosted by Soledad O'Brien. It is scheduled to air in May 2011.

The organizing sponsor for the competition in Arizona is Microchip Technology, Inc. with the support of Science Foundation Arizona, Avnet, Craig and Barbara Barrett Foundation, Steve and Maria Sanghi, Wells Fargo Bank, On Semiconductors, US Airways and Critical Mass Communications LLC, among others.

Now Say Thanks!!!! Republicans who voted NO on Anti-Immigrant Bills

2011-03-18T08:19:00.001-07:00

This is the List of Good Republicans who Voted in Favor of Aizona's Economy, Against Anti-Immigration Bills, according with the AZ Republic (see link below)

SB 1308: Birthright citizenship

• Frank Antenori, R-Tucson.

• Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix.

• Rich Crandall, R-Mesa.

• Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix.

• John McComish, R-Phoenix.

• John Nelson, R-Litchfield Park.

• Steve Pierce, R-Prescott.

• Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale.

• Steve Yarbrogh, R-Chandler.

SB 1309: Birthright citizenship

• Frank Antenori, R-Tucson.

• Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix.

• Scott Bundgaard, R-Peoria.

• Rich Crandall, R-Mesa.

• Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix.

• John McComish, R-Phoenix.

• John Nelson, R-Litchfield Park.

• Steve Pierce, R-Prescott.

• Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale.

• Steve Yarbrogh, R-Chandler.

SB 1405: Hospitals checking legal status

• Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix.

• Rich Crandall, R-Mesa.

• Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix.

• Linda Gray, R-Glendale.

• John McComish, R-Phoenix.

• John Nelson, R-Litchfield Park.

• Steve Pierce, R-Prescott.

• Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale.

• Steve Yarbrogh, R-Chandler.

SB 1407: Schools checking legal status

• Rich Crandall, R-Mesa.

• Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix.

• Linda Gray, R-Glendale.

• John McComish, R-Phoenix.

• John Nelson, R-Litchfield Park.

• Steve Pierce, R-Prescott.

• Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale.

SB 1611: Immigration omnibus

• Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake.

• Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix.

• Rich Crandall, R-Mesa.

• Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix.

• Linda Gray, R-Glendale.

• John McComish, R-Phoenix.

• John Nelson, R-Litchfield Park.

• Steve Pierce, R-Prescott.

• Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale.

• Steve Yarbrogh, R-Chandler.

Contrary to My Own Predictions...AZ Legislators Block Anti- Immigrant Bills!

2011-03-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Good news for now! Arizona State Legislature blocked anti-immigrant bills among them the so called Omnibus bill and the Birthright citizenship.

Other bills rejected were SB 1405 that would have required hospitals to check an individual's legal status and notify law enforcement if they suspected an individual was in the country illegally. Senate Bill 1407 would have required school districts to collect data on the number of students who were undocumented immigrants.

Also defeated was SB 1611, the so called Omnibus Bill, that included a wide variety of issues. It would have banned undocumented immigrants from attending state universities and Community Colleges or getting any federal public benefits. It would have made it a crime for undocumented immigrants to drive in Arizona and required proof of legal status to enroll a child in a public K-12 school. The Omnibus Bill was a compilation of 16 measures that had failed at various times over the past several years.

There is a small chance that this bill may be revived in what is left of the session. Also there is a possibility that the bill may be sent to the ballot.

Definitely the effective pressure came from the business leaders and the Chamber of Commerce, who months before were lobbying quietly against the passage of these laws.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/03/17/20110317arizona-birthright-citizenship-bills-rejected.html#ixzz1GuUEMCxo

You All Are 6 Years Behind, 4 Million Short (at Least)

2011-03-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

60 business executives, among them CEOs, are asking the AZ State legislature to back off the immigration bills that are damaging our economy. You can read the opinion page on the AZ Republic here http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2011/03/16/20110316wed1-16-new.html.

Is this action having an effect to stop further economic meltdown in the state? Most likely no.

Russell Pearce had made assurances to the business community, before taking the Senate presidency, that he would not bring this bills up for a vote. He had already broken his promise twice.

Before this last minute action, the business community had chosen to deal with the request to hold the bills in a private way. Now this public, desperate action seems too little, too late.