Immigrants cheer new federal policy

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Eduardo Resendiz, a 22-year-old Lehman College student who lives on University Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights, no longer has to live in fear of deportation.

On June 15, President Barack Obama announced a controversial executive order that will allow Mr. Resendiz and others to stay in the country and obtain a work permit. 

The policy will apply to undocumented immigrants no older than 30, who arrived in the country before they turned 16 and have lived in the United States for five years. They must not have a criminal record and must have earned a high school diploma or be currently attending or serving in the military.

“I couldn’t believe it at first,” said Mr. Resendiz, who immigrated with his family to the United States from Mexico in 2005. “I thought, ‘this can’t be possible.’”

Mr. Resendiz was notified of the nation’s policy early Friday morning by the New York Immigration Coalition, an advocacy organization he works with and from which he received a scholarship. He’s currently working toward his bachelor’s in music from Lehman College and said that with this policy in place, there’s nothing keeping him from a career.

“I’m going to be a music teacher,” he said confidently.
He also said the new policy will eliminate a daily stress.

“It was very depressing knowing if I was walking the street or maybe [the police] thought I was doing something wrong … and perhaps frisk me or arrest me and then have my fingerprints sent to ICE,” he said.

“But now with this policy … I’ll be able to have more peace of mind,” he said.

The plan will protect the same demographic of young immigrants who would have been covered under the yet-to-be-passed Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act — or DREAM act — which was first introduced in 2001.  

Mr. Obama said the policy aims to help young people who grew up here and are contributing members of society to thrive.

Norma Vega, principal of English Language Learners And International Support Preparatory Academy (E.L.L.I.S.), which is one of the schools on the John F. Kennedy Campus and serves an immigrant population, was also pleased

“It’ll make a big difference for our incoming class,” she said, but said that the few undocumented students at the school now would not be affected because they came to this country after they were 16.

“It’s right time, right place, right age,” she said. “For those that it fits, I think that it’s an awesome thing … I think that it just opens up lots of opportunities and just gives them a lot of hope.”

She said she planned to discuss the policy at next year’s orientation to get students talking about how the country’s immigration policies affect them.

The Marble Hill School for International Studies principal Kirsten Larson said undocumented students tend to have a great work ethic, but sometimes get discouraged once they realize their status will not allow them to apply for FAFSA grants if they want to attend college.

“It will be wonderful,” she said. “This is something we have been hoping for, for years.”

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera was among many city and state politicians to applaud Mr. Obama. He referred to the new policy as “a very big step forward.”

“When you have people that have grown up in this country and were brought here when they were too young to say otherwise and they have proven to be productive members of society … they shouldn’t have to live in the shadows,” Mr. Rivera said.

Not everyone agrees with Mr. Obama, however. Rep. Ben Quayle of Arizona introduced the Prohibiting Back-door Amnesty Act of 2012 to block Mr. Obama’s executive order.

“This end-run around Congress was a direct rebuke to the principle of three co-equal branches of government outlined in our constitution,” Mr. Quayle said in a press release.

Immigration, politics, policy, Eduardo Resendiz, DREAM act,

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