Posted on 02/23/2007 12:47:12 PM PST by TheDon
Gustavo Ponce loved burgers from McDonald's. He idolized Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo. The teenager from Costa Mesa would spend hours on the phone with his girlfriend.
The 16-year-old student at Estancia High School wasn't the best student, but he never missed his summertime English as a second language classes.
He loved his life in Orange County, a place he had called home since he was 12.
Like a lot of teens – even with the best intentions – he wasn't entirely truthful when dealing with his employer and confronting authority. Some would call it impulsiveness. Or naiveté. Or dishonesty.
His story, however, illustrates how for the children of illegal residents, breaking U.S. immigration law can bring especially severe consequences.
Officials say the system worked and procedures were followed. Gustavo brought his situation on himself, they say.
Now he's in Acapulco, Mexico – 1,600 miles from home, living with relatives, caught in the controversy over illegal immigration. He misses his family, his girlfriend and school.
...
Gustavo, using his older brother's identification, lied to get a $7-an-hour job at a 7-Eleven, which had an age requirement of 18. A co-worker allegedly stole a credit card from a customer and urged him to use it. Gustavo says he refused. He didn't report the co-worker because he didn't want to get involved, he says.
On Jan. 5, Costa Mesa police officers arrested Gustavo and the co-worker and took them to jail. Just as Gustavo was about to be released because of insufficient evidence, an immigration agent who has been stationed in Costa Mesa's jail for the past two months asked him a question:
"Wait, do you have your papers?"
...
Gustavo admits his lies landed him in Mexico. He wants to return to the United States.
This time, legally.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
But he can't - now he is a criminal, having been deported for being here ILLEGALLY.
Oh the INJUSTICE of it all snifff-sniff.
Gustavo does not seem to fit the profile of what any country would want from a citizen. Four years in the US and he wasted them with foolishness.
1 down, many many more to go.
Seems to be that at least one other person also should have been deported.
As for his legal return?
start filling out forms, Gustavo, and wait your turn like millions of others...
LOL! No kidding, they lay it on rather thick.
Don't have a problem with "legally", but all illegals are criminals and needs deporting. Plus, get rid of that blasted law that says a person of illegal parents need only be born in America to become a cit.
I have lived in Costa Mesa for 35 years.
I have seen Illegal aliens taking over from a Two block area to the whole westside of our town.
DEPORT THEM ALL.
Allan Mansoor for President.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2005-22,RNWE:en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Allan+Mansoor+mayor+of+costa+mesa&spell=1
I'm not talking about kids but I don't think deporting should be the first step. If there was a mandatory one year, no exception law for any man or woman caught here illegally, they might start knocking on the front door.
He loved his life in Orange County, a place he had called home since he was 12.
He'd been here four years and still taking ESL classes. My daughter was born and raised in Japan, came here when she was 13 (legally) and was done with ESL after two short years. She's now an honor student.
I just spent 30 minutes looking for the DUmmies take on this story. No search feature at that site. Waded through 12 pages and found nothing about it so far. If anyone else comes across it, please share. The comparison is usually a good laugh.
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