Newsletter April 2012 – Pedro Gutierrez, a Great Candidate for the DREAM Act

IN THIS ISSUE
The U.S. Naturalization Civics Test
Study Shows That Undocumented Workers Have ‘Negligible Impact’ On Wages
Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul
The Faces of US Immigrants: Fareed Zakaria, Journalist
Recipes From The Melting Pot: Crepes, A French Delicacy
Quote of the Month

Pedro Gutierrez, a Great Candidate for the DREAM Act

“Pedro is the prototypical DREAM Act eligible person. Pedro embodies the spirit of DREAMers,” Mo Goldman, Pedro Gutierrez’ lawyer, said in a press call on Thursday.

But instead of living a dream, Pedro Gutierrez’s nightmare has been put off for at least one year. Originally, the Feds told him that he had to be out of the country by April 17th. But after receiving pressure from activists and congressional leaders, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Gutierrez — a 24-year-old undocumented immigrant, father to a U.S.-born child, and an aspiring Marine — that he has one more year to stay in the country he’s called home since is was 7 years old.

In a press conference, Mr. Gutierrez commented on being deported to Mexico, stating “I don’t know the language, I don’t have any friends, I don’t have any family.” He said that living in Mexico would “be like a foreign country.”

In 2011 ICE Director John Morton established new guidelines that prioritized the deportation of undocumented immigrants who are dangerous criminals. According to Mr. Gutierrez and his lawyer, Gutierrez has one speeding ticket and one traffic violation on his record. After missing a court proceeding in 2009, Gutierrez served 8 days in jail.

What adds an extra wrinkle to the whole story is that Gutierrez has a newborn daughter and he and his girlfriend are currently discussing the option of getting married, which would likely help him stay in the U.S.

Furthermore, while Gutierrez is allowed to stay for at least a year, he does not have legal status and therefore cannot legally work or serve in the armed forces.
“I’m in a limbo right now,” Gutierrez said.

If the Obama Administration is truly supportive of the DREAM Act, then they must acknowledge that people like Pedro Gutierrez are whom we should be focusing on trying to keep in this country and not trying to deport.