A major campaign victory and update on Angelo Cabrera, whom many of you know from a year-long campaign here at Daily Kos, where we helped advocate alongside Cabrera to get his immigration status up to legal standards. Because of the support received over the past year, Angelo has recorded a special video message for the Daily Kos community. Please watch his heartfelt message to all of you.
Long story short: The power of this community helped to change the immigration status of Cabrera by helping him get back to his home in New York so he can continue to make positive change in his community, continue teaching, and take on a new career.
This victory highlights a sad truth—our immigration system is broken. Congress’s unwillingness to address immigration reform has created a system in which immigrants are targeted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, along with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, for detention and deportation that breaks up families and communities.
After you celebrate the video from Angelo, please take the next step to sign the petition: Stop ICE from raiding and deporting immigrants.
(Transcript of the message is below the video.)
In January of 2015, I wrote about Angelo Cabrera. Cabrera had been living in the U.S for 24 years, during which he earned a reputation as an educator, activist, nonprofit founder, award-winning community leader—all while being an undocumented Mexican-American.
After completing a masters degree at Baruch College, Cabrera was offered a position with the school. In order to accept the prestigious position, Angelo needed to correct his immigration status. At that time, the only way to apply for citizenship was to return to his home country and seek a visa, and with such a good resume as a community leader, friends were hopeful for a positive outcome.
After a few months in Mexico, the US denied Angelo’s visa—subjecting him to a 10-year penalty for his previous undocumented status. Friends and activists started the campaign to “Bring Angelo Home.” The Daily Kos community organized around the issue and asked New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to request the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reconsider Angelo’s case. We owe gratitude to Sen. Gillibrand’s office for hearing this important message. Additionally, many other NY politicians joined in the effort with accolades and high-praise for Angelo and his record of work.
Shortly after our campaign, Angelo’s case was re-opened. Next, the Daily Kos community sent emails and placed phone calls into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) departments overseeing his case.
NOW, here’s the best part—Angelo’s case was reviewed and approved!
Cabrera landed in his home state of New York on Friday, March 25, to the joy of his students, community, and most of all, his soon to be colleagues at Baruch College—who have been holding his position and advocating tirelessly for his return.
Angelo is truly grateful to the Daily Kos community for your support and activism which helped him return to the only life he’s ever known, a life in New York. If you haven’t done so yet, please watch the video, and know it’s a tear-jerker.
Unfortunately, we aren’t finished. We have a truly broken immigration system, as exemplified by the difficulty Angelo had in returning to the U.S. Not only is our system near impossible to navigate, we have Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raiding homes, destroying families, locking up children, and deporting people at alarming rates. These people came to the U.S to work for a better life, and like Angelo, many of these people are being sent to countries they barely know.
Here is a short description of what Angelo encountered as he entered the U.S.: “As I get off the plane, I saw some immigration officers handcuff an immigrant and I was very afraid, nervous …
“When I was called to present my documentation to the CBP officer at the entrance, I was ok … but after I was questioned the reason of my visiting the USA, I answered, “I am here to work” and I presented all documented and letters. [The] officer was not very happy and responded “Why not say you are an HB-1 Visa Holder” and I responded, “You asked the reason of my trip, not what type of visa I have. I just wanted to make sure I answer to you correctly …
“He looked at my record—both letters and the computer data, asked for my fingerprints and took my photo; then he … asked me to step aside. At that moment, I [was] scared. [He] asked me to walk to the questioning room, he walked behind me … I was terrified at that moment, every step I walked to the questioning room it seemed to be the longest ever walked in my life.
“One hour waiting in that room, it was an eternity…
“Finally my name was called and I was given back my passport and the stamp of entrance. As I walked outside of questioning room, I cried of happiness because finally I was admitted legally entrance to the United States.”
We are better than this. The next step is to stand together and tell ICE enough is enough: Stop the raids and deportations. Treat all humans with the dignity we deserve.