There seems to be significant misinformation surrounding immigration and deportation, and as a legal Colombian migrant, I feel the need to clarify a few things.
First, there is a massive backlog of individuals who already have deportation orders. In most cases, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not catch these individuals off guard. Most are well aware of their deportation orders and have had ample time to make arrangements, especially if they have children.
At the same time, it’s critical to acknowledge that our country cannot sustain an infinite number of people crossing the border illegally, unvetted, and unchecked. Simply crossing illegally, claiming credible fear, and applying for asylum does not make it right, especially when one did not arrive legally and does not have credible fear. Most individuals who apply for asylum do not qualify, and many fail to follow through with their legal appointments. This process, already overwhelmed by years of backlog, often results in denied claims, something the applicants are frequently aware of.
It’s frustrating to watch media outlets like CNN focus on “gotcha” questions directed at individuals like Tom Homan, instead of addressing the bigger picture with logic and reason. Deportations prioritize criminals and those with criminal backgrounds. If undocumented individuals happen to be caught alongside a criminal, they may also face deportation as collateral. Once the immediate threats to national security are addressed, the system will move on to others. However, this process will take time and require more funding and resources to scale effectively.
We need to set emotions aside and recognize the hard truths: human trafficking and exploitation must end. Migrants are often misled and lured by false promises of opportunities or legal status. Many die during their journey, are trafficked, go missing, or suffer horrendous abuses, including rape. When they arrive, they often become a financial burden and face years of uncertainty.
Given the current situation, and as a legal Colombian migrant, I believe I have the right to speak up. Beyond the logistical and legal issues, I find it deeply disrespectful, both to Americans and to legal immigrants like me, that the previous administration’s open-border policies disregarded the rule of law and encouraged such reckless disregard for human life. The treatment of migrants in this system has been appalling, and it’s heartbreaking to see leaders like Colombian President Gustavo Petro exploit the situation further.
Why are we spending so many resources on undocumented migrants while neglecting veterans, those struggling with addiction, the homeless, and natural-born Americans, naturalized citizens, and legal immigrants? What about DACA recipients, those who filed paperwork, and others who have been waiting for years for real solutions? At the same time, we are sending billions of dollars abroad while our own people are suffering here in America.
In addition, how do you explain all this to Angel Parents, those who have lost their children to crimes committed by undocumented migrants? Their pain and their losses are a stark reminder of the magnitude of this crisis.
I know the current issue with our immigration system is a complicated one, and I want to emphasize that we must have compassion for everyone equally, including undocumented migrants. However, I want to make perfectly clear that the previous administration did not care for you, me, legal immigrants, citizens, and certainly not the undocumented migrants. Many people filed their legalization cases here in America and others filed abroad waiting to be united with their families for years and years. Many refugees in camps and foreign countries are losing hope because it feels like it’s taking an eternity.
And what about those undocumented migrants who have been here for 20 years or more, who have not committed crimes, who pay taxes, own businesses, create jobs, and have U.S. citizen children who are productive members of society? They feel offended because the previous administration forgot them and did not offer a path to legalization but instead opened the border. One could argue that they should be helped before those crossing.
Lastly, I do not approve of illegal immigration in any way. But we must be realistic. They are already here. How about giving them a fine and creating some sort of path to permanent residency if they meet certain very strict criteria? By no means should we enable illegal immigration, but ignoring the realities of the situation is not a solution either.
Our immigration system must reflect fairness, logic, and compassion. This means addressing those who have committed crimes or pose a security threat, while also considering solutions for those who have demonstrated their commitment to contributing positively to this country. It’s a balance we must strive for—one that ensures the dignity of all while upholding the rule of law.
The people of Arizona do not want to turn our state into the next California. But just a few weeks into her reign as governor, Katie Hobbs has made it clear—that’s exactly what she intends to do. Last week, Hobbs released her first budget plan, and it’s nothing more than a liberal wish list of big spending, extreme proposals, and corporate welfare designed to reward her special interest friends.
Her first target is education, and she wasted no time going after Arizona’s expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs). Yes, the program that is so popular that it overwhelmed the Department of Education’s website immediately after launch—the one that even some Democrats have openly supported. Despite being a private schooler herself, Hobbs wants to dismantle school choice for all with a full repeal of universal ESAs. And that’s just the start…
Gov. Katie Hobbs wants to ensure that illegal immigrants get a taxpayer-funded college education; she proposed an initial $40 million investment to realize this goal.
Hobbs issued the proposal during her State of the State Address on Monday in the Capitol. She named the proposed investment after those qualified to remain in the country under former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“In line with the will of Arizona’s voters in passing Proposition 308 this past November, my budget allocates $40 million to create the Promise For Dreamers Scholarship Program to cover all students, regardless of immigration status,” stated Hobbs.
Hobbs’ proposal brought some of the loudest cheers from the Democrats on the floor.
In a subsequent statement on Twitter, Hobbs described opposition to Prop 308 and outrage over illegal immigration as “politicized.” She relieved President Joe Biden of much of his responsibility for the border crisis, instead insisting that both Democrats and Republicans were to blame.
“Unfortunately, immigration has been politicized for far too long. Arizona voters told us in November they don’t want or need political stunts designed solely to garner sensationalist TV coverage and generate social media posts,” stated Hobbs.
When I speak to leaders in Arizona’s border communities, they agree they need real solutions after decades of failed leadership by both parties. #HobbsSOTS#SOTS2023pic.twitter.com/EbOBUHaAyJ
Hobbs’ remarks follow the narrow passage of Proposition 308, which awards in-state college tuition rates to Dreamers. The proposition was backed by at least $1.2 million of out-of-state dark money network funding.
Following Prop 308, the state’s universities moved quickly to offer scholarships to illegal immigrant students. Northern Arizona University (NAU), one of the latest, partnered with a scholarship program fund operated by the New Venture Fund, one nonprofit arm of one of the nation’s leading leftist dark money networks, Arabella Advisors. Those eligible for these scholarships include illegal immigrant students eligible for deportation.
Arizona voters don’t just vote on people, we vote on policy too!
Prop 308 gives AZ Dreamers equal affordability if they attend a state school, has bipartisan support, and puts no additional costs on the taxpayer.
Hobbs proposes this additional $40 million, though Arizona already spends hundreds of millions on K-12 illegal immigrant children’s education. In 2020, illegal immigrant students cost Arizona public schools over $748 million. 99 percent of those funds come from local and state taxes, not the federal government.
Some Republicans have supported improving tuition affordability for illegal immigrant students. Last summer, the Arizona House awarded a proclamation to an illegal immigrant activist group for advocating for in-state tuition and education for illegal immigrants. The group, Aliento, was co-founded by a DACA recipient or “Dreamer,” Reyna Montoya.
Montoya graduated from Arizona State University (ASU) with degrees in political science and transborder studies, with recognition as “Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student,” before earning a master’s degree there in secondary education.
During Hobbs’ address, members of the Arizona Freedom Caucus staged a walkout in protest of Hobbs’ agenda. The caucus criticized Hobbs, claiming that she failed to address the real concerns facing Arizonans. State Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-LD15), the caucus chairman, claimed that Hobbs was exploiting her executive power to a tyrannical degree.
“We’re seeing a new breed of Democratic Fascism take hold of the Governor’s office,” stated Hoffman.
State Rep. Jacqueline Parker (R-LD15), vice chairwoman of the caucus, said that it was wrong for legislators to remain before Hobbs while she spoke, claiming it was complicity in Hobbs’ use of office for activism.
“We could not sit idly by while she repeatedly declared her intention to advance her woke agenda that stands at odds with the people of our state,” said Parker.
Karina Ruiz de Diaz, an illegal immigrant who qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and is hedging on President Joe Biden’s promise of a pathway to citizenship, petitioned to end a bill prohibiting illegal immigrants from voting, HB2492. As AZ Free News reported last week, the House Government and Elections Committee passed the bill.
“[This bill] is threatening my ability as #DACA and the ability of #immigrants in AZ to help those eligible citizens to register to #VOTE,” wrote Ruiz de Diaz.
Call your AZ State Rep and deliver a message to save democracy in the state #HB2492 is threatening my ability as #DACA and the ability of #immigrants in AZ to help those eligible citizens to register to #VOTE Make a call now https://t.co/e2tMCn32Nj
Ruiz de Diaz was among the group of individuals who filmed themselves following Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) into a bathroom last October over her refusal to answer whether she’d support President Joe Biden’s reconciliation bill. Later on the same day of that incident, Ruiz de Diaz confronted Sinema on her plane ride back to D.C. It appears, however, that Ruiz de Diaz didn’t have to worry about her voting rights during the 2020 election: she revealed that her son voted for Biden.
“I am a DACA recipient from Arizona who volunteered to help elect Sen. Sinema. I asked her to follow through on her promises to immigrants in Arizona and support citizenship through reconciliation,” stated Ruiz. “My son voted for President Biden and his Build Back Better agenda. He voted for bold action from democrats to protect immigrants.”
Message from Karina – I am a DACA recipient from Arizona who volunteered to help elect Sen. Sinema. I asked her to follow through on her promises to immigrants in Arizona and support citizenship through reconciliation. pic.twitter.com/iw4nsrI2v7
In January, police dismissed their investigation into the activists who followed Sinema. Law enforcement said that Sinema went into the bathroom with knowledge that it was illegal to film another in the bathroom, citing Sinema’s comments in the initial police report. Arrests can jeopardize an individual’s DACA status.
According to an Arizona Republic profile on Ruiz de Diaz’s family, which included details of their illegal border crossing, Ruiz de Diaz came to Arizona from Mexico in 1999 at around 14 years old. She fled with her father, Mauro Santiago Ruiz Barrita, and her mother, Virginia Ruiz Barrita, after her father claimed he was attacked at gunpoint in their hometown of Oaxaca, Mexico. Arizona Republic reporter Megan Taros featured the story of Ruiz de Diaz’s family last March as part of a story on Ruiz Barrita’s death at 74 from COVID-19 in “Loved and Not Forgotten: Phoenix and Scottsdale Area,” part of the outlet’s series, “100 Stories.”
Ruiz de Diaz supplemented the content for the profile on her father, noting that he was saddened he couldn’t return to Mexico to see his dying mother three years ago. She added that her father would often say about America: “Even if the cage is made of gold it is still a prison,” in Spanish.
“His heart was broken between the U.S. and Mexico,” said Ruiz de Diaz in the interview.
Due to being an illegal immigrant, Ruiz de Diaz told CNN that it took over a decade to earn a biochemistry degree from Arizona State University (ASU).
“I have felt voiceless because in Arizona voters passed a law that says I have to show proof of legal residency for in-state tuition. Because of that law, it took me 12 years to graduate from college with a bachelor of science in biochemistry that I’m not using right now. I’m not working in my field because I have to be fighting this fight. My life and the lives of people like myself who qualified for DACA, and people who did not, were on the line the last four years. This fight took priority,” said Ruiz de Diaz. “I dream of going back to my field one day. I want to teach science. I want to do research. When I’m a citizen I could go back to doing that, knowing I have grown leaders in the community who can carry on the work of the nonprofit.”
Currently, Ruiz de Diaz serves as the executive director of Arizona Dream Act Coalition (ADAC), a nonprofit that advocates for illegal immigrants’ unfettered access to work, housing, and education. Ruiz de Diaz told CNN in the same interview that she’s helped thousands of people register to vote over the years; her desire to vote served as one main reason she supported Biden.
“The first thing that I would do is register to vote. I have helped so many people register to vote in the last five years, I lost count. It’s more than 1,000 or 2,000 people, because I wanted them to be a voice for me. I wanted them to understand the power that they have in deciding who represents them,” said Ruiz de Diaz.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
