Occupy Oakland arrestee faces deportation

[alp227]

Source: SF Chronicle

Occupy Oakland protesters rallied outside a downtown jail Tuesday in support of an activist who faces possible deportation to his native Mexico after being arrested during Monday's police sweep of the movement's encampment outside City Hall.

Francisco "Pancho" Ramos Stierle, a 36-year-old Oakland resident who friends said came to the United States six years ago to study astrophysics at UC Berkeley, is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin because of a federal immigration hold.

Stierle was one of 32 people arrested during the sweep early Monday in Frank Ogawa Plaza. Video footage shows Stierle - who "practices silence" every Monday, according to friends - meditating, sitting cross-legged and communicating with a police officer by writing on a notepad.

(...)

Friends said Stierle came to the United States on a student visa and spent about two years working toward a master's degree in astrophysics, before dropping out over concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/16/MNGC1LVES1.DTL

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In other words, this guy overstayed his student visa.

[villager]

1. To where? El Cerrito? Hayward?

:shrug:

[slackmaster]

2. Anyone who overstays a student visa and has dropped studies should leave the country

That person's reason for visiting is no longer valid.

[KamaAina]

3. Here's why he dropped his studies

Friends said Stierle came to the United States on a student visa and spent about two years working toward a master's degree in astrophysics, before dropping out over concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation.

Still want him out? He's more of an asset to our country than most of us who were born here.

[atreides1]

4. Okay

But was there another route he could have taken, besides violating his student visa?

[slackmaster]

5. Yes, his political views do not in any way justify overstaying a student visa that is not being used

He can enroll in classes in another line of study, apply for a different type of visa, get a job and a work permit, or leave.

[bainz]

6. How?

How does his dropping out of school and overstaying his visa make him more of an asset to our country than most of us who were born here?

[KamaAina]

8. Because he did it out of concern for the future of our planet

the level of progressivism here is dropping faster than the autumn temperatures. :eyes:

[joeglow3]

9. So, you would support a political exam before being allowed in?

If you are on our side, you can violate laws, but if you are on their side, you should be deported?

[EFerrari]

13. People learn all kinds of things in college that don't come up on tests.

They already do get tested for their ability to learn as this student did.

[joeglow3]

15. Huh? I never asked about college exams.

I am asking if we should decide the enforcement of our laws based on political affiliation of the perpetrator, which this individual appears to support.

[EFerrari]

19. Yes, in fact, you did ask about exams.

But aside from that, students learn while they're in school and they change their positions so testing them on issues before they enter is a waste of time.

And, this might come as a surprise to you but nukes are not a left/right political issue. They are a survival / no survival issue.

[redgiant]

32. I think he meant a political "litmus test"

to see if one held "the right beliefs," not some sort of an exam of political knowledge.

[slackmaster]

10. The Nazis slaughtered millions of Jews out of concern for the future of our planet

And they had little pieces of flair that they made the Jews wear.

[KamaAina]

12. Mr. Godwin sez: You lose!

:eyes:

[slackmaster]

16. My support of our immigration laws law is not contingent on subjective criteria

Such as political beliefs.

[KamaAina]

17. But I wasn't the first to invoke the Nazis to support my argument

You were. Ergo, under Godwin's Law, you lose.

[slackmaster]

24. "Winning" via Godwin's Law doesn't make your position any more valid

You seem to be in favor of selective enforcement of the law.

[KamaAina]

26. No, I just don't think local governments should be at ICE's disposal

This guy was charged with misdemeanors. Without Secure* Communities**, he's not deportable. Why should Alameda County, at its own expense, do DHS' dirty work for it by holding him?

[slackmaster]

33. Federal law requires state and local LE people to turn over to INS anyone who they arrest...

...and determine to be in the country illegally. I believe that has been the law since the 1970s.

If the guy didn't want to face deportation, he should have avoided getting arrested.

[KamaAina]

40. But does it require them to verify the status of each and every person arrested?

Can you say "unfunded mandate"?

[slackmaster]

44. No it does not, but that's obviously a red herring

To anyone who can read simple English.

[truebrit71]

35. Godwin's Law is fucking stupid...

...

[KamaAina]

39. Nice post, Hitler!

:P

[LanternWaste]

41. Not for the future of the planet

Not for the future of the planet, but rather for the ensured future domination of the Indo-European. Unless of course you can cite valid, peer-reviewed historical Nazi documents that explains the necessity of removing Jews, gypsies, Slavs, etc. as being concomitant with a functioning eco-system. :shrug:

A somewhat precise and relevant difference I would think...

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. Most astrophysicists are not involved with nuclear weapons

[slackmaster]

11. Only as potential measures to prevent asteroids from striking the Earth

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7867322

[donquijoterocket]

14. and

even then their involvement is qualified by running the risk of turning a rifle into a shotgun.I wasn't aware you needed to be a nuclear physicist to be concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

[Yo_Mama]

18. How so?

Astrophysicists don't work on nukes. It's a branch of astronomy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrophysics

Like, would looking through a telescope or working on theories of star formation somehow cause nuclear weapons to pop up around the world like mushrooms?

This is the most bogus claim I've ever read. I think he means "I discovered drugs and sex and flunked out." And how is this guy earning a living?

[quakerboy]

20. What is the connection?

On the one hand, just the fact that he went to start study astrophysics makes him likely more educated than most Americans. And the fact he is out there with Occupy makes him more involved than most. I would guess based on this limited information that he is an asset to our country, as you say.

However, I fail to see the connection between astrophysics and nuclear proliferation that would make it a reason for dropping out. I also fail to see how that would prevent him from filing the paperwork to try to stay legally

[KamaAina]

21. Ask the reporter from the SF Chronicle, and/or Stierle's friends

His friends gave the quote, and the newspaper printed it. I am merely quoting the published article.

[BadtotheboneBob]

22. He can fight nuclear proliferation in his own country...

It's a global issue. Or, he can go to any of the other nuclear powers and protest there. He overstayed his visa. He must go. I don't care where he's from. However, I would more than welcome his presence here as long as he abides by the immigration rules and waits his turn.

[KamaAina]

23. zOMFG!!! Mexico has nukes??!!

:scared:

:sarcasm:

[BadtotheboneBob]

25. Of course not...

...but, your reasoning then precludes anti-nuclear weapon proliferation work in any country that doesn't have them? As I said, it's a global issue. Or, did you miss that part? (sarcasm)

[alp227]

27. According to the Bircher cons, Cuba did

but where are Cuba's nukes now?

[KamaAina]

28. They must be in Mexico!!!!

:scared:

:sarcasm:

[boppers]

30. ..

:spray:

[alp227]

29. As much as I support immigration reform i.e. DREAM Act

I simply can't support keeping people in if they've willfully overstayed a visa.

[BadtotheboneBob]

31. Does that include you?

Just asking...

[Macoy]

34. I Wonder

I wonder what the reaction would be if he was arrested at a Tea Party Protest...still think he has a right to stay in the country with out a visa??



Macoy

[KamaAina]

37. An undocumented immigrant at a Tea Party rally?!

He'd be lucky if ICE found out before the teabaggers did!

[KamaAina]

38. I don't know. I haven't met him.

I do know that my total Occupation time logged so far is three and one-half hours. His is a lot more.

[SoCalDem]

43. While he may be an asset, he took a big chance and lost

People who are here on expired visas, must always avoid any situation that could lead to an examination of their status.

It's not "fair", but it's reality:(

Something as mundane as a broken tail-light can be a prelude to deportation in many locales.

[Islandlife]

46. He broke the law and got caught

I'm sure he understood the consequences of his decision to drop out. He simply got caught and must now face those consequences.

[UndertheOcean]

36. You know my opinion: One Planet , One Species , no borders. n/t

[LanternWaste]

42. +1

Victor Hugo wrote in his preface to Les Miserables that more wars, more deaths, and more pain have been caused by wholly imaginary red and blue lines on a map than anything else in history.

I agree with him.

[w4rma]

45. We need more people like him in this nation, but what in the heck was he thinking?

He knew his visa had run out. He knew that the police would start deporting him if they arrested him.