Another BCTC student detained

One of the leaders of the Kentucky Dream Coalition has been detained… She’s a student at BCTC, the second student detained this past year. Here’s a link to an article we wrote on another BCTC student getting deported: BCTC Student Deported

Please sign and circulate this petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/halt_the_deportation_of_all-american_dreamer_jennifer_abreu

But also pressure our community college and university presidents to speak out publicly on this issue. Read below for more on Jennifer Abreu’s story:

I am writing to ask you to take immediate action to immediately halt the deportation of Jennifer Abreu (A-099251897). Jennifer came to the United States when she was 13 years old. Her family brought her to the USA in search of a better life. As soon as she came, she immersed herself in the community and in her studies. In addition to quickly learning English, Jennifer perfected Spanish and in doing so, became a tutor and a mentor to her classmates. She graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington, KY where she was an active member of TeenBoard, a community service student organization that also planned activities to educate other students about issues affecting the world and their community like Invisible Children, human trafficking, and the DREAM Act.

Jennifer is like an all-American girl. She was on the dance team and performed many times at a local Festival Latino traditional Brazilian and Colombia dances. She plays the piano, and but her true dream is to become a journalist and work within criminal justice. She hopes to shed light on the issues affecting the community and raise awareness about issues of crime, oppression and injustice. At the time of her detention, Jennifer was scheduled to serve as a mentor during the 6th Latino Multicultural College Fair where she would have encouraged youth to stay in school and plan for college. Instead, Jennifer was detained and is facing deportation.

Jennifer’s pending deportation is the result of actions she had no control over. She has spent her formative years in the United States and has proven herself to be a great asset to this country. She is an excellent student, a dedicated mentor and a hard-working community servant.

Jennifer’s case merits an administrative closure that would allow her to complete her education in the United States. In view of his family’s modest economic circumstances, her only hope for completing her college education and fulfilling her professional aspirations is here in the United States. For her to have to leave the United States at this time would be tragic given his potential for further academic and professional success.

Also call!

1) Call Janet Napolitano, Director of Department of Homeland Security, and leave comments of support for Jennifer and also ask that DHS stop her deportation: 202-282-8495

**note this is an answering machine, once it is full it is out of commission for day. Fill it up now with calls supporting Jennifer.

2) Call Assistant Secretary to ICE, John Morton and leave a message urging him to take action and defer Jennifer’s deportation: 202.732.3000. This is a live comment line, i.e. a human being will pick up and take your message. Be very polite “I am calling to leave a message of support for Jennifer. I ask that Director Morton defer Jennifer’s deportation, she is an asset to this country.”

3) Call Congress Ben Chandler, 202-225-4706 and urge him to support Jennifer by urging Director Morton and Secretary Napolitano to defer Jennifer’s deportation. Also urge him to support the DREAM Act that would help provide relief and a path to earned legalization for students just like Jennifer.