Matt Weir / The Collegian
The Free Speech area on campus was filled with students, faculty and community members on Friday as they heard speeches supporting the DREAM Act.
The rally came only days after Associated Students, Inc. President Pedro Ramirez admitted his undocumented status.
Fresno State President John Welty not only spoke in support of the DREAM Act, but he also chanted with those present.
“It’s time for Fresno State to lead the way,” he said. “I ask you today: Don’t let your commitment stop here.” He also encouraged students to contact Congress to pass the DREAM Act.
Welty said he had a responsibility to voice what was the right decision. “I speak on behalf of all the AB 540 students in this country,” Welty said at a press conference after the rally.
Most of those that attended carried signs in support of Pedro and other AB 540 students.
Families with children were also in attendance. Martha Calderon brought her two grandchildren to the rally to support students. Calderon said that she thinks that those that oppose the DREAM
Act and AB 540 students do so out of fear that among them there will be a leader that would stand up for the Latino community to end the oppression.
Among the supporters, students and community members who opposed the DREAM Act also made their presence known.
“If the laws were correctly applied here, Pedro would have never been in the United States to run for the ASI presidency,” student Neil O’Brien said. “This is sufficient evidence that proves that his presence, the election and his presidency are illegitimate.”
In a public statement to the media surrounding them, O’Brien and a small number of supporters demanded the removal of Sanchez as president of ASI.
“The University of Fresno, Mr. Welty and Mr. Oliaro should withdraw their support of the usurper, Pedro Ramirez, because university bylaws do not tramp the laws of the country and the Constitution of the United States,” O’Brien said.
The rally was hosted by Adriana Sanchez, an AB 540 student who asked governor candidates Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman about their stand on the DREAM Act during the October debate held at Fresno State.
She was followed by other students who made public their legal status, many for the first time. These students talked about their experiences and fears as AB 540 students.
Byron Castillo, a former Fresno State AB 540 student who graduated in 2007, struggled being able to afford food and tuition. “Luckily I worked at a restaurant,” Castillo said. He worked full time while attending school.
Castillo has a bachelor’s degree in social work but is currently working as cook at a restaurant. He says he has lost hope for himself. “I am here today, I might not be here tomorrow.” If the DREAM Act passes, Castillo said he would return to school to get his master’s degree.
“Maybe once I was an inspiration for some of them, now they are my inspiration [for me] to come back and do something again,” Castillo said.
“Today I decide to stand in front of you and say, I am undocumented and I am unafraid. DREAM Act Now!” Sanchez said.
Ramirez was the last speaker at the rally. When he took to the podium, the crowd greeted him with cheers, applause and chants.
Ramirez said that he would not resign. “I followed the rules and regulations, and there is a democratic process to get me out,” Ramirez said. “This is democracy, this is America.”
“If the people that are citizens here…think that we are devaluing your citizenship, then I’m sorry, but I would love to add more value [to] it.” Ramirez said.
The rally came to an end with debate between the two sides still raging on.
JJ • Nov 23, 2010 at 11:11 am
Pedro Ramirez should be deported. Since when U.S. campuses became lawless? Oh, wait! Since 1960s when the liberal dumbed down U.S. colleges and universities.
JJ • Nov 23, 2010 at 11:11 am
Pedro Ramirez should be deported. Since when U.S. campuses became lawless? Oh, wait! Since 1960s when the liberal dumbed down U.S. colleges and universities.
Anonymous • Nov 23, 2010 at 2:33 am
RED FLAG WARNING ON THE DREAM ACT–AMNESTY
The facts about the Dream Act and not the propaganda from Senator Harry Reid’s Liberal party leadership that must–END? Sen. Jeff Sessions put out the following release last week on the DREAM Act, that it’s an incremental illegal-alien amnesty bill. IT IS A VERY CAREFULLY PLANNED AMNESTY, FULL OF RHETORIC? BUT EVERY TAXPAYER NEEDS TO READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE WHITE PAPER. Remember your taxes are certain to accelerate upwards, to pay for all these indecent provisions. American citizens are already having money extorted from them to pay for the babies of illegal aliens born here, the education of illegal alien children, the health care for all family members and crammed prisons and jails for convicted illegal alien felons. All needs to to be paid for by your taxes? High on the list of Negatives is that the students, will be able to sponsor immediate family members under the chain migration law.
Not so much the students who would become naturalized citizens, but the chain migration that would snowball for all family members. As I have said before we are committing financial suicide, because the majority of guarantors never honor their affidavits to support the people they vouch? In the end the older family folks who have never paid into the Social Security system, become another public welfare liability. Hundreds of thousands or may be millions have been allowed into America on the surety of the original sponsor, who failed to support his-her immediate family. Over the years taxpayers have been confronted with this issue, as the US government never had the man-power to enforce this sponsorship law. Years of non-compliance has be come yet another Social Security, (SSI) Supplementary Income of Tax payers left to pay even heavier taxes in support of people who were sponsored and then neglected. The amount of money that cannot even be estimated, that is being appropriated every year to account for the illegal immigration invasion.
Another provision that misleads the public, is the fact that an illegal alien can join the military in this time of conflict and collect as a gaurantee a path to citizenship. Under under current law (10 USC § 504), the Secretary of Defense can authorize the enlistment of illegal aliens. Once enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces, under 8 USC § 1440, these illegal aliens can become naturalized citizens through expedited processing, often obtaining U.S. citizenship in six months.
The invasion hasn’t stopped and never will until we cut of all welfare entitlements?
WANT THE REALITY OF COSTS? GOOGLE—Illegal immigrant costs and find out for yourself and then you decide? Then go to the Heritage Foundation website and it will explain with graphs, projections and text by the reputable in-depth analysis by Robert Rector.
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/06/amnesty-will-cost-us-taxpayers-at-least-26-trillion
Next week will add further enticements for illegal immigrants to come here, if this Dream Act passes?
Here is the full text of the Dream Act (S. 3827: Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2010:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-3827
These corrupted legislators will not even tell you the real costs, for settling instant-citizenship infants (Anchor Babies?) Here is the last chance to harass your Senator or Representative by phoning (202)224-3121. Challenge them to stop the Left wing zealots for planting another Amnesty in America called the DREAM ACT.
Another provision that misleads the public, is the fact that an illegal alien can join the military in this time of conflict and collect as a gaurantee a path to citizenship. Under under current law (10 USC § 504), the Secretary of Defense can authorize the enlistment of illegal aliens. Once enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces, under 8 USC § 1440, these illegal aliens can become naturalized citizens through expedited processing, often obtaining U.S. citizenship in six months.
The invasion hasn’t stopped and never will until we cut of all welfare entitlements?
WANT THE REALITY OF COSTS? GOOGLE—Illegal immigrant costs and find out for yourself and then you decide? Then go to the Heritage Foundation website and it will explain with graphs, projections and text by the reputable in-depth analysis by Robert Rector.
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/06/amnesty-will-cost-us-taxpayers-at-least-26-trillion
Next week will add further enticements for illegal immigrants to come here, if this Dream Act passes?
Here is the full text of the Dream Act (S. 3827: Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2010:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-3827
These corrupted legislators will not even tell you the real costs, for settling instant-citizenship infants (Anchor Babies?) Here is the last chance to harass your Senator or Representative by phoning (202)224-3121. Challenge them to stop the Left wing zealots for planting another Amnesty in America called the DREAM ACT.
Anonymous • Nov 22, 2010 at 11:23 pm
The College President supported the idea? Of course he did.. he may well lose his job if we don’t support the Dream Act and pay the taxes that will support the students going to school in our country on taxpayer money.
NO!
Detain and deport!