Could it be political?
(King5) An immigration judge Thursday gave the government until early next month to respond to the allegations of an immigrant-rights advocate who says she’s been targeted for deportation because of her political activism.
Dozens of supporters greeted Maru Mora-Villalpando, 47, as she arrived outside a downtown Seattle building for her first deportation hearing.
A Mexico City native who overstayed a visa issued in 1996, Mora-Villalpando says she has had no convictions or contacts with police that might normally trigger deportation proceedings. But in December, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent her a notice to appear in immigration court.
An officer’s report in her case said she came to the agency’s attention because she discussed her unlawful status in a newspaper interview last year. The report also cited her “extensive involvement with anti-ICE protests and Latino advocacy programs.”
She cited that statement in a motion filed Monday arguing that the proceedings should be dismissed as a violation of her free-speech rights. An attorney for the Justice Department, Brent Campbell, told U.S. Immigration Judge Brett Parchert that the government would oppose that motion, and Parchert gave him until April 9 to file a written response.
Well, yes, it definitely could be political, but, it’s her own politics to blame. If this person who is in the United States in contradiction of federal law, by definition an illegal alien, wouldn’t have constantly opened up her mouth she might not have ended up on ICE’s radar. Because they need no other reason to deport her other than her being illegally present in the United States. If you’re a criminal, is it a good idea to broadcast to the police? If you’re dealing marijuana, should you get your car wrapped saying you sell marijuana illegally?
ICE has repeatedly denied targeting anyone for political reasons and called such allegations “irresponsible, speculative and inaccurate.”
Pro-immigration advocates around the country have cited other cases, including deportation proceedings against Eliseo Jurado, the husband of an immigrant activist in Boulder, Colorado, who sought sanctuary from deportation in a church, and Ravi Ragbir, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago who leads the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City.
It’s the exact same thing: if you’re an illegal alien, do not do things that broadcast to ICE that you’re illegal. Being here illegally is already on them: so is broadcasting it.
“We need to be dismantling ICE,” Mora-Villalpando told the crowd Thursday. “ICE has no oversight. ICE is not accountable to anybody.”
Illegal aliens do not get to make that determination, but, I supposed people dealing drugs would like to get anti-drug units dismantled, like the DEA. Gangs would love to get anti-gang units dismantled. People who engage in all sorts of crimes would love to see lots of law enforcement dismantled. Ms. Mora-Villalpando can go back to her home country of Mexico and complain.
But, that talking point about dismantling ICE is becoming a huge talking point by Democrats. This should play well with illegal aliens who can’t vote and the Democrat base who cares more for illegal aliens than Americans.
