Boy Fighting Mom's Battle To Stay In U.S.

Asks Mexican Congress For Help, Weeks After An Appeal To Bush

(CBS/AP)  Mexico's Congress was swayed Tuesday by a 7-year-old boy on a mission to keep his mom in the U.S.

Second-grader Saul Arellano, a U.S. citizen, appeared in Mexico's 500-member Chamber of Deputies to plead for help in lobbying Washington to stop the deportation of his mother, an illegal immigrant who has taken refuge in a Chicago church.

His efforts paid off with a unanimous resolution calling on the Bush administration to suspend the deportation of Elvira Arellano and any other illegal immigrant parents of U.S. citizens.

If President Bush were to agree, it would "create a precedent that will benefit more than 4.9 million children who have been born in the United States and whose parents live under the threat of deportation," said Mexican Rep. Jose Jacques, who lived in the U.S. for 33 years and has an American daughter and granddaughter.

Flashing cameras and swarms of reporters surrounded the boy as he entered the massive chamber. But instead of stepping up to the podium, he was swept into a side room, where he hid his face and ducked under a table after lawmakers rose from their seats to shake his hand.

"I think being so small he was kind of freaked," said Jesus Carlin, who identified himself as a friend of the family.

Arellano then took the microphone and, speaking softly in Spanish, described what he wanted from Mexico's lawmakers: "I want them to tell President Bush to end the deportations so that my mother and other families can stay together in the United States."

The Arellanos have had some help in their campaign, from the Chicago-based immigrant rights group Centro Sin Fronteras and its president, Emma Lozano, who says the case is being used as an example to send a strong message to Congress on the issue of immigration.

U.S. federal officials say there is no right to sanctuary in a church under U.S. law, and nothing to prevent them from arresting Elvira Arellano, who has lived at the church since Aug. 15, the day she was supposed to surrender for deportation. But so far, they have not moved to seize her, and support for their case has grown among U.S. politicians.

Arellano, 31, said she sent her son to her homeland because she believes the Mexican government has the ability to help her.

"If the Mexican government can negotiate a free-trade agreement, they can negotiate a good accord to keep families from being split up," she said.

Arellano said she was nervous about sending her son, who had never before traveled to Mexico. Saul was afraid his mother would be deported while he was gone. "I told him to be calm, everything would be fine and I would be here waiting for him."

President Vicente Fox, who leaves office Dec. 1, failed during his six-year term to persuade the U.S. Congress to approve a migration accord allowing thousands of Mexicans to work legally in the United States. While President Bush personally supports a temporary guest worker program, Republicans in Congress opted to strengthen border security instead.

Rep. Andres Bermudez from Fox's National Action Party - who years ago crossed illegally into California and has three children born in the U.S. - said that all Mexican lawmakers can do is draw attention to the "unjust" case. "We can't order the U.S. government to do something against the law," he said.

Arellano said she should not have to choose between leaving her son behind in the U.S. or bringing him to Mexico, away from his school, friends and familiar environment.

Conservative columnists and anti-illegal immigration activists say she put herself and her son in this difficult spot by repeatedly breaking the law.

Arellano illegally crossed into the United States in 1997 and was deported shortly afterward. She returned within days, living for three years in Oregon before moving to Chicago in 2000.

She was arrested two years later at O'Hare International Airport, where she worked as a cleaning woman. Convicted of working under a false Social Security number, she served three years probation before being ordered to appear at the immigration office in Chicago.

Fox spokesman Ruben Aguilar told reporters Tuesday that the Mexican Consulate in Chicago has been in constant contact with Elvira Arellano and "will continue working to help Mrs. Arellano obtain authorization from the U.S. Government to remain in the United States."

The Mexican government acknowledges "that a U.S. law has been broken," Aguilar added. "But we think there exist certain elements of a humanitarian nature that should be taken into account to avoid splitting up the family."

[tru2theusa]

How sad for this boy that his mother would leave him for any reason. What kind of mother choses to be separated from her child when she doesn't have to? As for the "What would Jesus Do" shirt, the Bible clearly states to "Obey the laws of the land" (Romans 13:1). That's what Jesus would do. He would obey. Elvira Arellano created her situation and no one else. She knew exactly what she was doing when she came to the USA, then had a baby here. Looks as if she's trying to work the system to me. As for being racist, this is about the laws of this country. Let's not forget that.

[snowbrd7]

He's such a cute little fellow what a shame his mom doesn't take him quietly back to Mexico instead of putting him in this terrible position. Vicente Fox will not cause them any harm.

[mystate]

One more time on the soap box and then I will hand it over to someone else. Promise.
We need to petition our local, state and federal governments to change the laws. If the mother is not a legal US citizen, then the child, no matter where it is born cannot possibly be a U.S. citizen. This would have to include those that think by marrying someone here that they automatically become a US citizen. That should not be allowed. It would certainly stop all this nonsense and we can devote our tax money to raising the school standards of our children that have the right to an education here. (and stop raising the Mexican flag OVER the US flag on the school grounds)
Thank you.

[mystate]

Okay, so them other is staying inside a church because she does not want to be deported. The US citizen is being held there (when the boy returns). Now, she is a fugitive of the law. AND when the boy returns, a US citizen will be held hostage inside a church by this fugitive from the law. Isn't that enough to have her arrested?

Just a thought. She needs to leave. She took the chance of having her son stay in the United States when she gave birth to him here. She is not the citizen. She is a fugitive.

[lestb35]

The mom's tee-shirt reads "Who Would Jesus Deport?". Who cares. The United States of America is deporting you. We are not here to support every person that makes it across an unprotected border. We are not here to pay for your pre-natal care, the delivery of your son, the education of your son, and all the other services you've probably used. We're not a church, we're a country. There is probably a nice Christian church in Mexico that can provide you with food and care.
Posted by cbgb31 at 05:03 PM : Nov 15, 2006

EXACTLY!

[olebd]

Hopefully, this event will stir the Bush administration to re-visit the review of this problem and listen more to the people this time for a solution.

I sure don't agree with the guest visa thing either. What would keep them from not staying here after the visa expires? I don't think anyone would be monitoring all of the guest workers. PLUS, there's the expense of it all.

[interested4]

I am curious, I have not seen in these articles just exactly who is accompanying this child. I did think it was interesting that in a CNN article, apparently the mother felt inclined to tell her son how to avoid being robbed on the streets of Mexico. I am also at a loss as to how someone who has been in this country for years, has yet to learn to speak English, or how they managed to end up working, of all places, in an AIRPORT.

[laurieleemoo]

and as you can see---I'm not like you. I do not take kindly to being called a racist. Sorry---I will NEVER ignore someone who does so. I will let them have it---just like i did. Sorry to disappoint you but i guess I just not the big person you are.

[interested4]

Good night, laurieleemoo.

[laurieleemoo]

good night to all

[laurieleemoo]

no thanks, I have already made my statments here and I just would rather not be called racist again, thank you very much. I have had enough!

[interested4]

laurileemoo, please stop. Most adults would react to being called a racist on a blog by ignoring the poster. Please get back on topic.

[laurieleemoo]

good evening to all

[laurieleemoo]

squiz2----okay, lets be honest here---what would you have done if you were trying to speak on the issue and you had this person coming back over and over and over again---calling you racist?

Are you going to sit here and be self righteous and say...oh I would not have been nasty. The wench was harassing me first. I am absolutely allowed to stick up for myself and give it right back to her.

Just because you and I handle people different ways----does not make me a bad person. Sorry, but i am no doormat and people can not just talk to me the way that she did and get away with it.

Sorry---i do not go around being POLITICALLY correct. I pretty much tell people like it is and guess what????

I am allowed.

[interested4]

laurileemoo, I have read the entire thread, including your repetitions, and I reported you because you are being neither civil nor polite. Also, I never mentioned racism, it hs nothing to do with why I reported you. Threads are interesting when people make pertinent comments and stay on topic, not when they engage in petty argumet for no apparent reason. Originally you had good points and I enjoyed reading them, get back to that and I will have no problem with your posts.

Back on topic, it is very hard to stand by and watch the America I love lose it's identity. I understand that this child isn't just lobbying for his mother, but for all illegal parents in the US with citizen kids. I think it's time to stop allowing citizenship to the children of illegals. I also think that Immigration should have knocked down the doors of this "storefront church" a long time ago.

[squiz2]

Maybe it is the fact that you harass and antagonize? And I'm sure that there will be eight posts after this of you saying "What? Come on! Argue with me! Is that all you got?" after this, but I have more important things to do, so don't bother. You're an angry little person, and frankly it's just obnoxious.

[laurieleemoo]

if you'll go back and notice--I was speaking of the issues only when she came along and called me a racist, over and over again. Listen, if someone continues to call me a racist for merely stating my complaints and she does it over and over again---you are damned straight I'm going to let her have it----wether YOU or anyone else likes it or not.

[laurieleemoo]

other than the fact you could not stand the arguing going back and forth---please I would love to hear your specific complaint also. I'm right here---lets talk

[laurieleemoo]

interested4---if you have in fact read all the thread from the beginning you will find that I did not say one thing racist until that lady started calling me racist. I am not racist--I was merely giving her what she wanted to hear. Oh, and go ahead and report me as I really did not go overboard---i certainly could have, but I did not. So please be specific. Which statement is it exactly that you are reporting me for again?

[squiz2]

Thank you, interested4. Reading this thread gave me a migraine. I can't believe how juvenile people can be. If you have a point, just make it. You don't have to resort to rude, spiteful comments and antagonizing remarks. I understand that people are passionate about their opinions, but GOOD GRIEF! How pointless. Being a *** won't help your argument.