I’m quite confidant that we will be treated to man more sob stories from illegal aliens in the pages of the Times, along with many other Leftist media outlets, over the next 6+ months. In this case, a Mr. Lundy Khoy
Mr. Trump: I Am an Immigrant With a Criminal Record
I arrived in the United States on Nov. 12, 1981, when I was 1. My parents had fled the Pol Pot genocide in Cambodia, in which over two million people were murdered. I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand before moving to California, and then Virginia.
None of these facts may seem important, but I assure you, they are. My parents and I were granted legal permanent resident status; my brother and sister, who were born here, are citizens. The three of us were typical American kids, eating Cheerios for breakfast and taking the bus to school. We went to Disneyland and religiously watched the Fourth of July fireworks from the beach. As a teenager I attended school dances in all of their crepe glory. I am not an American citizen, but there is no way I am not an American.
Donald J. Trump said that his administration will “get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, we have a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million.†He continued, “We are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate. But we’re getting them out of our country.â€
I’m not a gang member. I’m not a drug dealer. But I have a criminal record, and I’m afraid.
Can you see the strawman? Remember when the NY Times said they would start doing actual reporting? Of course, we know that was a bunch of hooey, and that it would certainly never apply to the feelings, er, opinion, pages. Left out is that Trump was talking specifically about illegal aliens.
Here’s the upshot of Mr. Khoy’s issue: like many in college, he got a little wild and was busted with Ecstasy, and charged with intent to sell, as he had 7 tablets. He plead guilty, spend 3 months in the slammer, then served 4 years probation. He was supposedly a model guy afterwards. Then
Then, in 2004, I went for what I thought was a routine visit to my probation officer. I had even brought along my most recent report card to show the growth I had made. What I encountered was a multitude of officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, instructing me to hand over my possessions and stand spread-eagle against the wall. As my probation officer gave me an apologetic look, they escorted me out of the office, handcuffed me and eventually took me to Hampton Roads Regional Jail, in southern Virginia.
By the terms of law, anyone here on any legal status can be booted out for a variety of reasons, including drug offenses (excluding minor marijuana). But, after spending 9 months in a detention facility, he was released, and, never deported.
This spring, I received a pardon from the governor of Virginia that mentioned my “commitment to good citizenship.†But immigration law is separate from criminal law, and my record still exists. Even though the state has forgiven my crime, the federal government could still decide to deport me. I am not eligible for citizenship.
Being not eligible for citizenship is on him, not us. Being eligible to be kicked out is also on him. You make choices in life. Should he be deported? Not in my opinion. He’s paid the penalty for his crimes.
Deporting me may be within the authority of the law, but I implore Mr. Trump and his supporters to look past my mistakes. Every year I stay here is one more year I grow and acquire skills and knowledge that allow me to contribute more to this country. By giving me the tremendous opportunity to remain here, you would be allowing me to truly live how I’ve felt I’ve lived my entire life: as an American.
Again, revel in the strawman. No one is talking about people like Mr. Khoy. He’s not an illegal alien. The country welcomed those escaping Pol Pot. Khoy could have applied for citizenship much earlier. Regardless, he’s not an illegal. Trump hasn’t said anything about going after those here under permanent legal residence status.
The whole intent here is to offer up a sob story which equates legal immigrants with illegal aliens, linking the two so that people get weepy eyed over kicking the illegals out as people confuse the two statuses.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
