Monday, January 28, 2008

Illegal immigrant seeks refuge in Chicago church

Remember the case of Elvira Arellano? After residing in the U.S. illegally for several years and facing an order of deportation she barred herself in a Chicago church along with her U.S.-born son. She stayed in the church for a year until leaving it last August where she was subsequently arrested and deported. In the process, she was seen as a pariah by some and as a martyr by others.

Now another illegal immigrant has sought refuge in the same church as Arellano had:

Flor Crisostomo, 28, who was arrested two years ago in a raid on the Chicago firm where she worked, was ordered to report to federal authorities Monday for deportation, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Instead, Crisostomo on Sunday entered Adalberto United Methodist Church to pray and consider her options. Church leaders said she planned to follow the lead of Elvira Arellano who lived at the church for 12 months before being arrested in Los Angeles and deported.

A statement from the Chicago office of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that Crisostomo (image) was given ample time to legalize her immigrant status and warned that she would be considered as “an immigration fugitive.” Yet she claimed that “immigrants are not terrorists” and that she is taking such an extreme measure for the good of her family.

Sources- Daily Herald, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, NBC5.com, UPI

Image- WBBM 780


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like she did not even try to clear her status. There has to be some enforcement of laws in order to preserve the way of life here, no?

Anonymous said...

I'm from Chicago and had to leave because illegal's are taking US jobs. Many argue that illegal's take jobs no one else will do? There are a lot of Polish in medical jobs in Chicago who are here illegal. At some point illegal's should just go home. I'm sick of it! Please leave and yell at your own governments.

Erwin C. said...

If anything this case proves the great need of fair national immigration reform. And no, it shouldn't be nothing as oversimplified as full amnesty or "illegal's [sic] should just go home." Complex issues require complex answers.