Los Angeles, Alta California
August 29, 2007
Elvira Arellano meets with President Felipe Calderon
President may grant her a special diplomatic visa as "Ambassador for Peace and Justice"
Elvira Arellano, the Mexican immigration activist who many in the
USA consider the Rosa Parks of the Immigration Rights Movement,
met with President Felipe Calderon at Los Pinos yesterday. She
requested from the president that the federal government be more
actively involved in the protection of its emigrants in the USA. Elvira
Arellano also requested a special diplomatic visa as "Ambassador for Peace and Justice" in the USA. President Calderon promised that he will take the steps to assure her return to the USA.
Elvira Arellano met with President Calderon for 40 minutes. The meeting was
arranged by Patricia Espinosa, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who also
accompanied her to Los Pinos. A principal topic of discussion was the over 600,000 undocumented mothers with children who are USA citizens but are in danger of being separated from their families by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The devoted mother of an 8 year old USA citizen son named Saul, was snatched outside "La Iglesia de Nuestra Seņora Reina de Los Angeles" located in the center of the "Old Mexican Pueblo" by callous ICE agents. Elvira Arellano, a devotee of "La Virgen de Guadalupe" has galvanized the Immigration Rights Movement like never before.
The callous nature of the arrest and deportation of Elvira Arellano and the separation from her son and the insensitive comments made by ICE Chief Jim Hayes during a press conference resulted in an inquiry by the Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa and a request to the US Attorney General for his removal from Los Angeles.
