Immigration hits home: A story of a former student

[amilyn]

A former student of mine--a BRILLIANT phenom who speaks five languages and is qualified to teach Latin and ESL--is likely to be deported soon with no opportunity ever to immigrate back to the U.S., which has been his home and country since his family brought him here when he was 9 years old. Juan had no choice in coming to the U.S., but made the

Comments

[jennasq]

Oh, god. I HATE these stories- children, brought here by their parents, deported as adults to places that have never been their homes. It's horrible. Do you mind if I take this story to our immigration people at work? I doubt it will do any good, but I'd like to see if they have any suggestions.

[amilyn]

Please. Boost the signal far and wide, include Juan's own story link, and get people geared up for when he goes from polite channels to open free-for-all support. This is the kind of support I promised him a month ago I'd drum up the moment he said the word.

He has a lawyer and I've sent this letter, notarized, to her to pass on to the director. But the day is coming QUICKLY (within a week or so) when pleas will have to be more vocal...and it may still come to naught.

And he's brilliant and fantastic and everything about this is wrong--starting with the discriminatory policies that left his parents with no legal routes to take to get here in the first place.

[lefaym]

That's a great letter. Just one little point though:

In German 1, Juan sat next to a student with a disability that led to him displaying broadly inappropriate physical actions (which were to be ignored according to the student's IEP).

This sentence is a bit unclear, as to whether the first "him" refers to Juan or the other student. While context means that we inevitably get the right idea, I had to read over it a couple of times for it all to make sense.

[amilyn]

Thanks. finabair caught imminent/eminent...but it's already been sent. I just want to boost the signal and get Stateside people ready to go into protest mode in case it might help.

[scifithinker]

Oh, yes, let's deport the teacher who's a specialist in a shortage area. *headdesk*

There's got to be a better way.

[amilyn]

Exactly.

At least the DREAM Act passed the House. I don't know if they'll get it through the Senate...and, even if they do, I don't know that it can help Juan, but...it's just...GODS.