Should undocumented immigrant student who attend Harvard University be deported?
Harvard student faces deportation to Mexico By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff A 19-year-old Harvard biology student, who has been in the United States unlawfully since he was 4 years old, was detained at a Texas airport this week and is now fighting deportation to his native Mexico. Eric Balderas, a sophomore on a full scholarship to Harvard, was detained Monday while preparing to board a flight back to Boston to spend the summer conducting research at the university. He had been visiting his mother in San Antonio, where he grew up and was valedictorian of his high school class. Balderas said he had lost his Mexican passport and tried to board the flight using a consular card from the Mexican government and his Harvard identification. Instead, he said, airport security called immigration officials, who handcuffed and fingerprinted him, and detained him for five hours before letting him go. He boarded a flight back to Boston the next day, pending a July 6 court date with an immigration judge, probably in Boston. Today, Balderas was shaken and fearful of being forced to return to a country he barely remembers. He hopes to finish school and become a cancer researcher. "I’m very worried to be honest," he said in an interview. "I’m willing to fight this, of course. I’m just hanging in there." Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Brian P. Hale would not comment on Balderas's case because of privacy laws, but he said ICE evaluates each case on an individual basis. Balderas's arrest comes a year after Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust urged Congress to support the Dream Act, federal legislation that would allow immigrant youths to apply for legal residency, under certain conditions. Faust also recently met with US Senator Scott Brown, in part to urge him to support the measure. A Harvard spokeswoman praised Balderas today and said he is an example of why Congress should pass the act. "Eric Balderas has already demonstrated the discipline and work ethic required for rigorous university work, and has, like so many of our undergraduates, expressed an interest in making a difference in the world," said Harvard spokeswoman Christine Heenan. "These dedicated young people are vital to our nation’s future, and President Faust’s support of the Dream Act reflects Harvard’s commitment to access and opportunity for students like Eric." The Dream Act would create a path to legal residency for youths who arrived before they turned 16 and have lived here for five years. They would have to complete two years of college or the military, among other requirements to qualify. Opponents say it would reward students and their families who broke the law by entering the country illegally, but supporters point out that children had no say in their parents' decision to bring them to the United States. The presidents of Harvard, Brown, Tufts, and other universities have backed the legislation, which has been stalled since 2001. Balderas' stunned friends and classmates today, who rallied to his defense, joining a Facebook page and urging immigration officials to let him stay. They said he has tried to be a good citizen and stellar student. Friends pointed out that Balderas barely remembers Mexico, and feels like English is his first language. "He's like an American, but without documents," said Mario Rodas, a member of the Student Immigrant Movement, which has been pushing for legal residency for immigrant youth. "These are the kind of people we need in this country, doing research for cancer." Balderas said he is the son of a single mother who left an abusive husband and worked 12-hour days packing biscuits while raising him, and his younger brother and sister in San Antonio. At home, he would babysit his siblings while juggling homework on his own. "I honestly never thought I’d make it into college because of my status but I just really enjoyed school too much and I gave it a shot," he said. "I did strive for this." Now he is at one of the world's best universities, majoring in molecular and cellular biology. But on Monday, as he sat handcuffed, he said he contemplated suicide at the thought of being sent back to Mexico. He does not remember his hometown of Ciudad Acuna, in the northern state of Coahuila. His family is in Texas. "They just kept (asking) me if I had any other documents, that they were just trying to help me so that I can get on the plane," he said, recalling his conversation with immigration officials. "But at that point I realized there was nothing that I could do, that anybody could do." http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/06/harvard_student_5.html
Immigration - 15 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Deported at gunpoint and made to run a gauntlet of slurs and epithets.
2 :
illegal is illegal it's AGAINST THE LAW!!!!!
3 :
Yes, of course. It will make room for another American student.
4 :
Went to Harvard and all, and STILL wasn't smart enough to not travel by plane as an illegal. Were the immigration guys impressed by his vocabulary, at least? Just wonderin'
5 :
She needs to go back to where ever she came from, made as an example and the school need not transfer credits.
6 :
There is nothing about this illegal alien that justifies special treatment. Deport him. Why even have immigration laws, if these types of exceptions are going to be made.
7 :
what a painful question to answer........NO is the answer.....if the young man could prove he was enrolled in school.....let him stay.....Harvard is impressive but it could be any university... i find it disgusting that our government hasn't adopted a humane path to citizenship and a road or policy for immediate deportation..........to start with... 1. seal the boarders..... 2. deport illegals who commits a single crime 3. encourage citizenship with requirements for knowledge of American History, speaking english, and no dual citizenship.
8 :
If you can't even be honest in your terminology, don't bother asking questions.
9 :
Well, how many forms did the student fill out with false information in order to get accepted to the university, as well as to be eligible for the scholarship? It is unfortunate to see someone take advantage of the opportunities afforded to citizens of the US under false pretense and make the most of it to better his life and the life of his family. However, he is here illegally and if he lied on his admittance application about his citizenship as well as the scholarship application, then he needs to pay a price for breaking the law.
10 :
I coudln't bare myself to read all that.. I am not american, I am Canadian.. I do not like illegal immigrants, due to the fact their illegal. However, all people deserve a better life, so I do not cast them down... It is unfortuante that he could not recieve citizenship.. I hope the american government allows this very smart individual to become a member of the U.S. He obviously has the brains, and potential cancer reaserchers should not be discarded. Illegal immigration is a tough issue... everyone deserves a second chance, however economies can only cover certain amount of people and there needs to be a limit on who can come for the economic stability of a nation. I wish this guy the best of luck.
11 :
Mexico should send a private plane.Mexico says of America-“USA is crime and terrorism.Why would they want any of their people here with that mindset ?
12 :
undocumented immigrant ---is to--- illegal alien AS aeronautical intercourse ---is to--- flying f*ck Send him, his family, all distant relatives and most of his friends back to Mexico. Hell as bad as the US is, (according to el presidente') why would anyone with citizenship elsewhere live here?
13 :
yes
14 :
{Being sarcastic here:} Sure am glad some stupid American volunteered to die in Iraq-nam so an illegal could attend Harvard on the American dime and get all the safety, security, and benefits America has to offer without putting himself at risk. Maybe he even got the job of the AMERICAN soldier who died over there. Send the illegals to Afghanistan to fight, and if they win, let them keep the country. And bring our troops home to protect our borders. American soldiers are not bleeding and dying to protect the "rights" of illegal aliens. If you legalize one, you will have to legalize them all after they sue for discrimination and win (because bleeding heart liberal would let them). P S My draft number was 119, so I served my country to help keep and maintain the gains made over the years by other patriotic Americans.
15 :
He aint so smart. How many documents did he falsify in 19 years to go this far ? Ivy League no less; nothin' but the best for someone that shouldn't even be here. The sh*t finally hit the fan. Hope that he he took some Spanish classes.
