Erick Velazquillo, a South Mecklenburg High School and CPCC graduate, has been detained for deportation. It’s a shitty situation, as you’ll find out in the below snip, but you can act on his behalf.
Remember: This is a young man who has lived here his entire life, who was educated here and who wants to give back to his community. He’s no hardened criminal, he’s simply trapped in the nonsense that is naturalization in the U.S.
He’s been in the country since he was 2-years -old. Now, a 22-year-old CPCC graduate is about to be deported for being an illegal immigrant.A grassroots organization is fighting to keep him here. The North Carolina Dream Team is hosting a vigil at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in uptown. A simple drive home from the gym may have changed Erick Velazquillo’s life forever.
“I was pulled over for having my high beams on,” he said.
The traffic stop meant the 22-year-old was also caught with an expired license. He hasn’t been able to legally renew it since 2006 because he is an undocumented immigrant.
“I never thought I would be in this kind of situation, ” said Velazquillo.
Though his family came to the U.S. when he was just 2-years-old, the graduate of South Mecklenburg High is now facing deportation.
“I lived my life pretty much like a normal American kid so the thought of me being deported never crossed my mind,” he said.
The only people he knows back in Mexico are his elderly grandparents.
Read the rest of this MSNBC.com article here.
Now, take action if you’re so moved:
Please sign the petition and help us stop Erick’s deportation.PLEASE FORWARD THIS PETITION AND ACTION ALERT TO 5 OF YOUR FRIENDS!
1. Call Senator Hagan (202-224-6342)
Sample Script: “Hi, I was calling to ask that Senator Hagan introduce a private bill for Erick Velazquillo (A# 200-97-0380). Erick has been living in the United States since he was 2 years old. If deported, he will be returned to a country he hasn’t been to in 20 years. Erick wants to contribute to this country as a nutritionist. Please introduce a private bill for Erick.“
2. Call DHS – Janet Napolitano (202-282-8495) and ICE – John Morton (202.732.3000)
Sample Script: “Hi, I was calling to ask that Erick Velazquillo’s deportation be deferred . Erick (A# 200-97-0380) has been living in the United States since he was 2 years old. If deported, he will be returned to a country he hasn’t been to in 20 years. Erick wants to contribute to this country as a nutritionist. Don’t deport Erick.”
3. Sign the petition and ask all of your friends to sign it!
Together we can stop Erick’s deportation, please take 5 minutes and complete these 3 easy steps!
This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2011.
He could also go back and apply like a normal person to enter America. If he had not been driving illegally this could have been delayed.
You don’t really expect to be able to reason with xenophobes, do you?
Have you even noticed that no one is trying to round up and deport Canadians? Maybe it’s because they are mostly white and speak english.
DLP,
You shouldn’t try to use words that are above your educational level.
A “xenophobe” is one who “hates or fears foreigners or strangers”. Canadians are foreigners, yet you argue that Billy Bob is a xenophobe who hates Canadians. Oops… does not compute.
The difference between Canadians living in the US (and yes I know several) and Mr. Velazquillo is that Canadians follow the appropriate and legal protocols for living here as legal aliens. Mr. Velazquillo did not.
You’d think that since the acquisition of a driver’s license results in revenue for the government, that lie-berals would be wanting Mr. Velazquillo to pay for the license along with interest and penalties.
I’ve got news for Joe, Billy Bob and anyone else who thinks Hispanics aren’t targeted for illegal immigration infractions: There are a substantial number of Russians living in Mecklenburg County who are illegal immigrants. They live in nice houses, some around the lake. Lots of people know this and yet when is the last time — or ANY time — you’ve heard of illegal immigrant Russians being rounded up and booted out of the U.S.?
And please. . . Joe, you’re mocking DLP, and yet you’re the one who couldn’t even understand what he was saying. Talk about operating beyond your education level. . .
So Dick, you gonna list those Russians’ names to ICE or you wanna be arrested for aiding and abetting felons?
Yeah, Moe, I’ll do that as soon as you turn in any illegal immigrants who’ve worked on your yard or roof, waited on you in a store, or helped construct a building you’ve entered.
Barring that, I’ll do it when you admit that your last post didn’t even make any sense in Normal People World.
The law is the law. Stay within the law and you will be fine.