Sunday, December 18, 2011

Shoplifter Facing Deportation To Mexico

Gustavo Romero-Alvarez

19-year-old man expected to be deported after shoplifting incident.

By H. Nelson Goodson
December 18, 2011

Portland, Oregon - Gustavo Romero-Alvarez, 19, a senior at Centennial High School was arrested on June 2010 for a retail theft. He spent several months in an immigration hold after the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office found he was undocumented when he was booked at the local jail. Since shoplifting a shirt from the local Macy's retail store, Romero-Alvarez has admitted to stealing the shirt and regrets ever doing so. He is currently challenging his deportation.
He was brought to the U.S. when he was seven and doesn't know anyone in Mexico, according to Romero-Alvarez' interview with KATU news.
In August, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration judge ruled that Romero-Alvarez had no basis to remain in the U.S. The judge granted him to leave voluntarily by December 16, if he failed to do so, a final removal order will be issued, according to ICE.
A vigil for Romero-Alvarez was held on Wednesday at the Portland City Hall. A campaign to keep Romero-Alvarez from being deported has been publicized by organizers, but information relating to the retail theft has been left out. Which prompt questions about why he was being deported in the first place.
Immigration activists claim, Romero-Alvarez qualifies under the guidelines of the DREAM Act to remain in the U.S. and the current ICE policy not to deport non-felony violators from the country. The DREAM Act has not been approved by Congress.
Recently, ICE deported more than 42,000 undocumented drivers who were convicted of driving under the influence, which in many states is a misdeamenor.

Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile

No comments: