Tag Archives: United States Department of Homeland Security

don’t Deport


 ICE: Please Don’t Deport My Mother, Gloria Pedroza 

  By joe sotelo
                                                San Antonio, Texas

My Mother came to this country to give us a better future, but is being prosecuted and will be deported in February 2014. On top of that they want to give her a 10year no entry into the U.S . As a 6 1/2 year service vet with 2 deployments to Afghanistan I find this appalling. I was born here in the U.S, server my country, and they wont let my mother stay.

The only crime here is her not being allowed to stay after she raised us to be the best that she could, which she accomplished. We all have successful jobs as Managers, History majors, Pottery/Art teachers and even in the Military.

But now they want to deport her because she dose not have papers after 26 years of being in this country, which was founded on immigrants who came to this new world in hopes of a better life. She even has a Daughter who depends on her due to having Liver failure cause by a UCLA Hospital due to them giving her the wrong medication. My sister needs my mother for moral and finacial support. She even has grandkids, and still they wont consider this as sufficient to let her stay.

So I’m asking for your help to help me fight this and help keep my mom here so she can watch her grandkids grow and see them have kids of there own.

Thank you for your time. Spc. Sotelo, Joe

Please, help me stay in the U.S. with my family


  ICE: Don’t Deport Me Away From My Sons; Grant Me Prosecutorial Discretion 

  By Tsatsral Bekhbat
                                                Omaha, Nebraska

I am a wife, a mother of three boys, and long-standing member of my community in Omaha, Nebraska. But despite President Obama’s declaration that people like me should be low-priority for deportation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, is trying to deport me.  Please, help me stay in the U.S. with my family by signing this petition asking ICE to close my case.

I came here to the United States at the age of 16 as a high school exchange student. I lived with my host family for ten months and graduated from high school, after which I was accepted into college. I lived here over 16 years, and this is where I graduated from college, learned to drive, bought my first car, got married, bought our first home and most of all had our sons. Brandon 9, Nike 5, avid basketball lovers. Jordan, my youngest, is only two years old. This is the country I grew up, and became the person who I am today. I mourn and cry when horrific happens, or celebrate the remarkable events, because I consider this great nation as my home.

I maintained my immigration status for years , but in 2009, I met a person who I thought was an immigration attorney, and she agreed to file my case. Later, I found out not only she didn’t file my case within a reasonable time, but also wasn’t an attorney, even though I was paying very high fee. I hired another attorney who later filed a complaint with State Bar Association on my behalf, because she said that there are a lots of people like her out there who take advantage of people.

My case was initially denied by Immigration Officer because not filing my case in timely manner. When my case was heard by Immigration Judge, it was denied because he didn’t think I had good reason to get my permanent residency granted based on information I provided. We appealed the case with BIA, and it was denied October of this year, and gave me 60 days to leave the country or face deportation. I am requesting Department of Homeland Security and ICE to grant me prosecutorial discretion.

Now, my precious boys might have to grow up without their mother around or leave the only home they have ever known. And I can’t let that happen.

Please, help me keep my family together. Join me in asking DHS/ICE to grant me prosecutorial discretion ( my alien number is 076768406) and remove me from deportation proceedings.

Dan O’Neill, Mercy Corps


Mercy Corps

Get this limited edition first aid kit

Ernie Lynn knows one thing: she’s grateful to be alive — grateful that she, her husband and their one-month-old baby survived Typhoon Haiyan.
After the typhoon devastated her village, Ernie Lynn and her neighbors urgently needed food, clean water and shelter.
Mercy Corps responded immediately, providing food, clean water, blankets, shelter materials and hygiene kits to families who lost everything in the storm.
Now, families must begin the long and difficult process of rebuilding, and they need your help.  Will you stand with them, and with other families in the world’s toughest places, by making a monthly pledge to Mercy Corps today?
When the storm passed, Ernie Lynn learned that the fishing boat her husband works on was severely damaged — meaning they’d lost not only their home but also their income.
Imagine the conflicting emotions Ernie Lynn must be feeling — grateful to have her baby safe in her arms, but grieving her family’s many losses… and worried about the future.  Without a job, her husband won’t be able to earn enough money to repair their home.  Where will they go?  How do they move forward?  How can they give their baby what he needs to grow strong?
Partners In Mercy monthly donors help families like Ernie Lynn’s move forward every day.  They help parents get back to work, so that they can earn money to provide for their families — to prepare healthy food, get medical care, and rebuild their homes.
The ongoing monthly support of Partners In Mercy makes it possible for us to respond immediately when a crisis strikes — distributing clean water and emergency supplies to survivors of natural disasters like the typhoon, providing food to hungry children during a hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa, and giving warm clothing and blankets to Syrian refugees facing a cold winter.  But your monthly gift will do so much more.
Your monthly support will fund effective, efficient programs that help communities recover and rebuild for the long term, better and stronger than they were before.
Becoming a Partner in Mercy monthly donor is quick and easy. So please take a moment to sign up today.  You’ll feel good knowing that you’re providing life-changing assistance to people like Ernie Lynn and her family every day
Sincerely,
Dan O'Neill, Mercy Corps Founder
Dan O’Neill Mercy Corps Founder
P.S.  Please make a life-changing difference for families in need by becoming a Partner In Mercy monthly donor.  Sign up now, and you’ll receive a limited edition first aid kit — a reminder of the help you’re providing to survivors of the typhoon, and other families in the world’s toughest places.

An extraordin​ary immigratio​n victory for military families


VoteVets.org

Far too many of our troops serving at home and abroad live in constant fear that those they love most will be deported.

Thanks to President Obama and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they can rest easy.

In an extraordinary ruling last week, DHS announced it will halt the deportation of “spouses, children and parents of active-duty military members, reservists who may be called up as part of the ‘Ready Force.'”

Over 50,000 veterans, military family members, and VoteVets supporters signed a petition urging the Washington to take action on immigration reform. And while we’ll keep fighting for comprehensive action, this is a welcome victory.

Please sign our card thanking President Obama and Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and we’ll deliver your well-wishes. You can do that here:

http://action.votevets.org/immigration-victory

DHS argued that the constant threat of deportation put an unnecessary “stress and anxiety” on those who signed up to serve their country through military service.

That’s right. And thanks to their action, a large portion of our force has something extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Thanks for standing with us in this fight. Your action matters.

Jon Soltz
@JonSoltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets.org

Bills & Hearings in the House : May 2013


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Field Hearing: How Southern California Freight Transportation Challenges Impact the Nation

1:30 PM | 1170 West 3rd Street San Bernardino, CA 92410
Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure | Full Committee

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Field Hearing: Oversight of California High Speed Rail

7:00 AM | Auditorium Room AM120, Madera Community College Center, Madera, CA Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure | Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Hearing: The Call for Economic Liberty in the Arab World

9:30 AM | 2172 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs | Full Committee

Hearing: Joint Hearing – The Current and Future Applications of Biometric Technologies

10:00 AM | 2318 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Subcommittee on Research

Hearing: Maritime Transportation: The Role of U.S. Ships and Mariners

10:00 AM | 2167 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure |

Hearing: Legislative Hearing on Draft Legislation, ‘The Veterans Integrated Mental Health Care Act of 2013;’ Draft Legislation, ‘the Demanding Accountability for Veterans Act of 2013;’ H.R. 241; H.R. 288; H.R. 984; and H.R. 1284

10:00 AM | 334 Cannon HOB Washington DC Host: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs | Subcommittee on Health

Markup: H.R. 982, the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency FACT Act of 2013

10:00 AM | 2141 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on the Judiciary | Full Committee

Hearing: Chairman Brady Announces Hearing on the President’s and Other Bipartisan Proposals to Reform Medicare

10:00 AM Host: Committee on Ways and Means | Subcommittee on Health

Hearing: Cyber Threats and Security Solutions

10:00 AM | 2123 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Energy and Power

Hearing: Visa Security and Overstays: How Secure is America?

10:00 AM | 311 Cannon HOB Host: Committee on Homeland Security | Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security

Hearing: The Future of the CFTC: Market Perspectives

10:00 AM | 1300 Longworth HOB Host: Committee on Agriculture | Full Committee

Hearing: “Reviewing the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Proposal for the U.S. Department of Education”

10:00 AM Host: Committee on Education and the Workforce | Full Committee

Hearing: Oversight Hearing on “Perspectives on the Management of Federal and State Land: Testimony by Governor Gary Herbert (R-UT), Chairman of the Western Governors’ Association”

10:30 AM | 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation

Hearing: Oversight Hearing on “Data collection issues in relation to the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act”

10:30 AM | 1334 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs

Markup: Full Committee Mark Up – FY 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill and Report on the Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2014

11:00 AM | 2359 Rayburn Host: Committee on Appropriations | Multiple Subcommittees

Hearing: Understanding the Cost Drivers of Passenger Rail

1:00 PM | 2167 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure | Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Hearing: Why Can’t DHS Better Communicate with the American People?

1:30 PM | 311 Cannon HOB Host: Committee on Homeland Security | Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency

Hearing: Next Steps in Human Exploration to Mars and Beyond

2:00 PM | 2318 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Subcommittee on Space

Hearing: JOINT HEARING: The Growing Crisis in Africa’s Sahel Region

2:00 PM | 2172 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs | Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations

Hearing: Cybersecurity: An Examination of the Communications Supply Chain

2:00 PM | 2123 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

Hearing: H.R. 3-Northern Route Approval Act

3:00 PM | H-313 Capitol Host: Committee on Rules | Full Committee

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Hearing: Exascale Computing Challenges and Opportunities

10:00 AM | 2318 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Select…

Markup: Full Committee Mark Up – FY 2014 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

10:00 AM | 2359 Rayburn Host: Committee on Appropriations | Multiple Subcommittees

Hearing: Saving Taxpayer Dollars: Freezing the Federal Real Estate Footprint

10:00 AM | 2167 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure | Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management

Hearing: Expediting Claims or Exploiting Statistics?: An Examination of VA’s Special Initiative to Process Rating Claims Pending Over Two Years

10:00 AM | 334 Cannon House Office Building Washington DC
Host: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs | Full Committee

Hearing: The Economic Outlook

10:00 AM | G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building
Host: Joint Economic Committee |

Hearing: Legislative Hearing on H.R. 1964, H.R. 1965, H.R. 1394, and H.R. 555

10:00 AM | 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

Hearing: H.R. 1911-Smarter Solutions for Students Act

10:00 AM | H-313 Capitol Host: Committee on Rules | Full Committee

Hearing: U.S. Citizens’ Constitutional Rights During the War on Terror

10:00 AM | 2141 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on the Judiciary | Full Committee

Hearing: Examining SAMHSA’s Role in Delivering Services to the Severely Mentally Ill

10:00 AM | 2123 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce | Select…

Hearing: “Examining the Regulatory and Enforcement Actions of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission”

10:00 AM Host: Committee on Education and the Workforce | Subcommittee on Workforce Protections

Hearing: Assessing the Threat to the Homeland from al Qaeda Operations in Iran and Syria

10:00 AM | 311 Cannon HOB Host: Committee on Homeland Security | Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence

Markup: H.R. 850, Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013

10:00 AM | 2172 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs | Full Committee

Hearing: CLOSED: Ongoing Intelligence Activities

1:00 PM | HVC304 Capitol Host: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence | Full Committee

Hearing: he Middle East and North Africa FY 2014 Budget: Priorities and Challenges

2:00 PM | 2172 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs | Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa

Hearing: S. 744 and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986: Lessons Learned or Mistakes Repeated?

2:00 PM | 2141 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on the Judiciary | Full Committee

Hearing: The President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: Administration Priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

2:00 PM | 2167 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure | Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Hearing: CLOSED: Ongoing Intelligence Activities

8:30 AM | HVC304 Capitol Host: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence |

Hearing: Restoring U.S. Leadership in Weather Forecasting

9:30 AM | 2318 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology | Subcommittee on Environment

Hearing: Chairman Johnson Announces Hearing on the President’s and Other Bipartisan Entitlement Reform Proposals

9:30 AM Host: Committee on Ways and Means | Social Security

Hearing: Legislative Hearing on H.R. 255, H.R. 745, and H.R. 1963

10:00 AM | 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 Host: Committee on Natural Resources | Subcommittee on Water and Power

Hearing: H.R. 1797, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

10:00 AM | 2141 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on the Judiciary | Full Committee

Hearing: Building America: Challenges for Small Construction Contractors

10:00 AM Host: Committee on Small Business | Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce

Hearing: Examining Drug Compounding

10:00 AM | 2322 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Health

Hearing: U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation: An Overview of the Merida Initiative 2008-Present

10:00 AM | 2172 Rayburn HOB Host: Committee on Foreign Affairs | Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

Field Hearing: Oversight of California High Speed Rail

7:00 AM | Auditorium Room AM120, Madera Community College Center, Madera, CA Host: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure | Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials