From the “rewarding good behavior” department comes this article about Senator Dianne Feinstein stepping to help prevent CCSF student Steve Li from being deported:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein has asked immigration authorities to halt the deportation of City College of San Francisco nursing student Steve “Shing Ma” Li while she considers introducing a bill that would allow him to stay in the United States temporarily, her office said Sunday….
Li’s case has attracted attention because the 20-year-old says he has no real connection to Peru, nor relatives or friends there. His parents were born in China but moved to Peru in the 1980s to escape the government’s one-child policy. They brought Li to the United States at age 11.
The three were arrested in San Francisco Sept. 15 because they were only allowed to stay in the United States through the end of 2002. Li’s parents were released and wear electronic ankle bracelets as they await deportation to China.
Feinstein needs to follow through and offer a bill to keep Li in the US – and, more importantly, fight like hell to get the federal DREAM Act passed.
Deportation is not a solution to the question of immigration reform – nor is it a solution Californians desire. By a 61-28 margin, Californians oppose deportation of undocumented immigrants, preferring instead to provide a path to citizenship for California’s undocumented population.
Stories like those of Li are a big reason why Californians support a humane and sensible policy of citizenship over the cruel and unjust policy of deportation. Meg Whitman found that out the hard way when her cruel attack on a Fresno State student backfired at the Univision debate in Fresno. Whitman learned that Californians do not support treating students as criminals, and her opposition to a path to citizenship played a big role in costing her the election.
Of course, the DREAM Act and opposing deportations like the one facing Li and his family is the right thing to do even if were politically unpopular. But because it’s politically popular, it is a no-brainer for Feinstein and others to support the Li family – and every other family in this country that wants to stay here but isn’t documented.
UPDATE: Reform Immigration For America is running a campaign to demand Congress pass the DREAM Act during the lame duck session this year. Sen. Harry Reid has promised a vote on the DREAM Act, but it’s unclear whether a Republican filibuster can be broken.
Sen. Feinstein did the right thing here. Our immigration priorities have been totally skewed by fear mongering, and there is hardly a better example than this case. Li should clearly be allowed to stay. Heck, he’s a nursing student, something that this state clearly need more of. Why would we kick him out?
if she stood up consistently for people in this situation, and not in a high media profile one-off case. this has been happening to thousands of californians over the past decade, but most of them aren’t college students and so noone seems to care.
so yeah, kudos to DiFi for this one act, but let’s not forget the huge majority of people that don’t make the papers.
This couple brings their pre-teen child to the US. He goes to middle school, then high school. He goes to college to be a nurse… then BLAM- “you are a bad, bad man and must go to Peru.” (PERU?!?)
Steve Li committed no crime. He went to school. His behavior and actions have not been criticized… his existence has. And that’s looney. Let the lad stay.
Now, his parents…. not sure, as they knowingly failed to heed a judge’s court order. How about a fine and required community service?