Devastating result of deplorable law By Pimentel

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
Phoenix, Arizona, USA T
hursday, November 12, 2002 http://www.arizonarepublic.com/special03/articles/1112pimentel12.html

Devastating result of deplorable law By Pimentel

Alejandra Arias Garcia, 20, is about to be forsaken by her country. Many will argue that the United States isn't her country.

This would be the equivalent, however, of arguing that up is down.

She has lived here since she was 6 months old. She attended public schools here and got her green card at age 18.

Her father is a naturalized U.S. citizen, her mother in the process of becoming one. Her seven brothers and sisters are either U.S.-born or permanent legal residents.

This is an American family by any stretch. Tragically, however, it is about to become a family torn apart unless a legal miracle occurs.

Arias is about to be deported to Mexico.

But then this is an old story. It's the story of U.S. immigration policy. It's a policy that puts a premium in most cases on family reunification but can contain very little by way of compassionate discretion in individual cases.....

Reach Pimentel at ricardo.pimentel@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8210