Last week, President Obama told us on Univision that his administration was not targeting DREAM Act-eligible students for deportation.
That very same day, the Department of Homeland Security sent Prerna Lal – one of our founders – a Notice to Appear for removal proceedings.
Prerna Lal
When Prerna decided to enroll one of the best law schools in the country (George Washington University), she didn’t know that she would face the trial of her life barely into her second year.
For those of you who don’t know, Prerna writes for the Change.org Immigration blog where she has helped to stop several deportations. She is an outspoken critic of the anti-immigrant policies pursued by the Obama Administration, and most recently she was adamantly pushing USCIS to hold green-cards in abeyance for same-sex bi-national couples.
Now she finds herself in removal proceedings, hanging by a thread that could separate her from the rest of her family forever.
And before you start blaming her parents and asking them to deport themselves too, they are permanent residents. In fact, Prerna is the grand-daughter of U.S. citizens. Yes, her grandparents did come here legally. She’s the only undocumented person in four generations of American citizens. She also happens to be the most educated one.
A Bachelors degree. Check.
A Masters degree. Check.
A Juris Doctor. Work in progress.
Maybe she’s too educated for America. Too educated for the DREAM Act?
Regardless, she got in that infamous line. She applied for a green card after checking in with Senator Feinstein’s office. They sent her eligibility requirements that confirmed that she should be able to qualify under a petition that was filed by her U.S. citizen grandmother for her family.
She was called for biometrics, fingerprinted and given her work authorization documents. Her papers were being processed. But then they decided to take it all away and placed her in removal proceedings.
Selective persecution? Maybe.
Now she needs our help to stop her removal proceedings. Donate here.
Keep Prerna here!
Amen, keep her here, tell all our own children born here to emulate her and make something of themselves.
If I have a daughter, I’m tempted to name her Prerna, in the hopes that the name will lend her some of Ms. Lal’s gumption. #cantstopwontstop
Prerna means inspiration, so you are pretty close. Have a great day!
POLITICIANS THAT LIE IS NOTHING NEW BUT POLITICIANS THAT TELL THE TRUTH(KEEPING THEIR PROMISE(S)/WORD(S)) AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH IS A CONCEPT THAT I BELIEVE THAT I WILL NOT LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY WITNESS BECAUSE POLITICIANS TELLING THE TRUTH AND KEEPING THEIR PROMISE(S)/WORD(S) IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE WORD POLITICIANS!!! FOR EXAMPLE POLITICIANS IS TO LIARS AS A HUMANE BEING IS TO TRUTH WHICH POLITICIANS ARE CLEARLY NOT AND WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE EXCEPT MAYBE WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER/WHEN PIGS FLY/WHEN THE COWS JUMP OVER THE MOON/WHEN HUMAN BEINGS SELF DESTROY THEMSELVES AND THE UNIVERSE THAT THEY OCCUPY!!!
I am so sorry our country is so insane. I am so sorry we can’t trade half a dozen lazy American kids with full birthrights for more people like Prerna. But then of course, nobody would want our wild, lazy, selfish, greedy and thoughtless American kids. We don’t properly educate our own, and when we have good examples like Prerna, we throw them away. I am so ashamed of my country and especially my former home state of Arizona. May God forgive us, if I could help financially I would, I can only pray and spread awareness, God bless Prerna and I believe that it’s going to work out for the best, I just feel that it will. Somehow you will become a role model right here in the USA — and perhaps a few American kids will look up to you Prerna, and want to be like you.
I am so very happy that you are not the Grandmother of my child. What a hateful old woman.
I’m with you, Granny, except I wouldn’t foist kids like jerseygirl on any country. Though I’d be ok with taking away their papers and giving them to DREAMers.
I agree with you Granny. Removal proceedings are a horrible process for any immigrant to go through. This year alone more immigrants are being deported.
Yes students like Prema should be allowed to stay. Along with many other non-criminal, law abiding tax paying immigrants who come here for work or family. All we can do is hope the president protects them by creating better laws before we become a nation of absolute hate.
Is there a petition in the works? I’ll sign it.
This is insane! This is a classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. She needs to stay here and be an asset to this country.
This injustice must be corrected. Stay strong, Prema!
Why would they take it all away after she came so far in the process?
Because she’s been kicking the shit out of the Obama administration for its lukewarmness on immigration reform (and rightly so.) This is a ploy to shut her and those like her up.
how can we help ?
I am a strong DREAM supporter and while I can appreciate Prema’s case as a whole, I think it would be very beneficial to understand why DHS “decided” to take it all away. How can DHS legally keep Prema away from a “right” she may have via her citizenship family members (e.g. did she qualify for inherited citizenship) ?
I would assume that she was a derivative beneficiary of her grandparent’s petitions for her parents, but she probably turned 21 years old before her parents were approved for their green cards. She “aged-out.”
Because she “aged out” of he grandmother’s petition – at 28 years old, she is hardly a child anymore in the spirit and eyes of the law – it was written to have chidren be united with their parents – their support. Since she is 28, she no longer should require their support, unless she is physically/mentally incapacitated.
She is an adult now, she should return to Fiji, if she cannot get a student VISA, and apply to return on her own merits, or since she can barely stand it here, move to Canada or Europe or India.
You can’t even get my age right. And demonstrate your utter failure to understand basic immigration laws.
And keep dreaming. Your suggestions are hilarious, night-time entertainment for everyone here, including DHS and WH officials
Well, I believe, 1L, that you posted that you arrived stateside when you were 14 and have been here 14 years, so 14+14=28. Do I need to cut and paste your posting? If I am off by a year or two, oh well, you are between 26-29 years old, how about that? Which would mean that you have aged out of your USC grandmother’s petition, because, face it, you may be the youngest, but you ain’t a child. Period. DHS and WH officials? Seriously? Are you really that paranoid to think that your online musings are being monitored by DHS and the WH? Wow. Chutzpah, thy name is ’1L’!
Paranoid, not at all. Just have a lot of friends at the DHS and White House. I do live and go to school 5 blocks from it. You can try to demean me all you want. Fact is, I’m getting the right to live and work here. And there’s nothing you can do about it.
Go back to your own country and make IT better so the rest of you illegals can stay there.
Why do you assume that my country of origin is not already much better?
It’s not like I’m claiming asylum. I’m claiming my legal right to stay here.
If your here illegally “you have the right to remain silent”
That’s a matter to be determined in court and I’m 200 percent sure that I will win. Thanks!
And I’m a thousand percent sure that after using someone else’s SSN that not only will you not win, that you will never be able to be a lawyer in the United States! But you’ll learn all that in court! No I’m no lawyer, you’re right about that, but then again Hey! neither are you! lol
1. Nice. I have my very own SSN, ITIN, state-issued ID, employment authorization card, and driver’s license.
2. Even if I used someone else’s SSN, the Supreme Court of the United States has held that undocumented workers using a fake SSN are not in violation of identity theft laws. Look it up.
I may not be a lawyer yet, but I can spin circles around most immigration lawyers and the U.S. government in my sleep.
Uhm, you may want to check yourself, 1L, an illegal alien is guilty of identity theft/fraud if he/she knowingly uses a SSN that he/she knows is someone’s and not just a fictional one. Ignorance is the key in this case. Your statement is overly broad, 1L, ergo, you earned a ‘C-’. Oh, and never count your trial victories before their verdicts are rendered, 1L. Just sayin’. (UVA: CLAS/LAW/DARDEN)
Yawn, and you would have the burden of proving that I KNOWINGLY used someone elses’ SSN. Right. Have at it. Too bad you are neither my professor nor a judge, jury or executioner. I hope you get off on lurking around and making comments on this board that have no relevance to my life.
P.S. A C- is still a pass, and my law grades will never preclude me from being the most well-known and prolific attorney in the country. Or from kicking the DHS prosecutor’s behind in my sleep. That is only if the government doesn’t cave and drop the case long before November. Peace.
1L, I did not ignore the fact that you already have your very own SSN, but you stated that the SCOTUS: “2. Even if I used someone else’s SSN, the Supreme Court of the United States has held that undocumented workers using a fake SSN are not in violation of identity theft laws.” – which is wrong. If you knowing use someone else’s, say your mom’s/neighbor’s, cousin’s, SSN than you are violating identity theft laws – the illegal alien is only protected if it is a false/made-up SSN (still seems like fraud to me, but whatever), or he/she uses a real SSN but does not know that it actually belongs to someone else.
PS – you did not have to say it twice, even though I was a Football player, I got it the first time…
And we want people here who think nothing of stealing an identity? How would you feel if you had to fight for your own identity? We don’t need people like that here!
And who said I think nothing of stealing an identity? Maybe we shouldn’t have people here who cannot read.
I am “Nobody!” and you are someone…
Who does 245(i) not protect
One important thing to point out is that the benefits from 245(i) are limited. To obtain a Green Card, an alien still needs 1) to get an immigration petition approved by the INS (now called USCIS) and 2) to meet other requirements for adjustment of status. The 245(i) itself has no effect on whether a labor certification application or an immigration petition will be approved. Moreover, 245(i) only lifts three bars in the adjustment of status application. In other words, the other bars to adjustment of status are still there. 245(i) also does not protect an alien from removal proceedings and does not grant other benefits such as employment authorization or advance parole. If an alien has been ordered to be removed from the U.S., he cannot apply for adjustment of status by using 245(i). Also, if an alien is put in a removal proceeding in the future, he or she cannot stop the removal proceeding by using 245(i).
245(i) does not grant a waiver to the J-1 holder’s two-year home country residency requirement. An alien who is subject to the two-year foreign residency rule still needs to obtain a waiver or fulfill the requirement before applying for adjustment of status.
In addition, 245(i) does not waive the three year/ten year bar. Under the current law, an alien who has been out of status in the U.S. for more than 180 days would be barred from reentering the U.S. for at least 3 years; an alien who has been out of status in the U.S. for more than 360 days would be barred from reentering the U.S. for 10 years. Aliens eligible for Section 245(i) are still subject to the three year/ten year bars. Thus, it is particularly important that people subject to these restrictions not leave the U.S. at all until they become permanent residents. An alien may remain in the U.S. to obtain permanent residence through adjustment of status by using 245(i) and never trigger these entry restrictions. (Once permanent residence is obtained, these entry bars no longer apply.)
And I know what the SC said about SSN’s and the fact that you posted that raises suspicion.
It’s one of the main reasons States are passing they’re own immigration laws.
Well, well, look who knows how to use Google! Speaking of laziness, isn’t it plagiarism to copy something written by another person (like, say, Zhang & Assoc, P.C.) without crediting the author? And speaking of respect for laws, isn’t it also copyright infringement when that work is copyrighted (as is the Zhang & Assoc. website) and the use is unauthorized? Hmmmmm…DEPORT HIM! LOL.
But anyhoo, Mr. Blackmantime (you’re probably white, so let’s call it what it is), Mr. Whitemantime…since you are now equipped with legal expertise, please explain to me how this has any bearing whatsoever on Prerna’s status. I’m just a 3L, I need help understanding the law.
I’m sure you wish I was white since illegals want to hi-jack the civil rights movement and act like they suffered the same history as us! “key word History” which you have none to speak of here! And I believe this applies to her: 245(i) also does not protect an alien from removal proceedings.
And it’s nice to see all of our tax dollars going to people here illegally! You must be so proud! DEPORT HIM! LOL. “After you Alfonz, I insist!”
Hmmm, never called a black man racist before, but there’s a first for everything.
re 245i, maybe Prerna or even our ICE friend can lend a hand here. As I understand 245(i), by itself it does not stop deportation, but it removes some of barriers to getting a green card, and once she has a green card, it is much harder to deport her. I think 245i means that working w/o authorization and unauthorized presence don’t make her inadmissible as long as she doesn’t leave the US, and she doesn’t have to go abroad to do her green card interview. I’d love an assist on this one since it’s kinda hazy to me.
re tax dollars going to undocumented people: not true. The $$ are going to tax breaks for GE & the richest 0.1% of the population. Undocumented people payed $11.2 billion in taxes this year. You know how much Bank of America paid, after it got a $1 trillion bailout and made $4.4 billion in profits? Nada. It got a rebate.
Look Mizzz-guided, Mizzz-informed, Mizzz-lead, I don’t give a tiny rats ass if Prerna stays or goes! Look she is bringing all this on herself! My job sucks so bad I don’t need any competition! Before HObama made his big BS speech Prerna was going after DHS unrelentlessly! She made them look bad and they are not going to stand for it. America doesn’t have a problem with the “Dream Act” what they have a problem with is they’re parents and cousins and uncles and aunts! I posted the website for how many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens in the United States, for some reason the post never made it to the broads! It would be nice if Facebook User would use her free education to actually defend the victims of those deaths. Instead she’d rather condone their behavior! 3L, 1L, blah, blah, blah! I’m just a dumbass American trying to get my job back! Prerna can help me do that, but won’t! She went up against the DHS and made them look bad, Good for you Facebook User but don’t think for one minute they won’t retaliate!She should have kept her F-ning mouth shut.
What’s your job that you’re trying to get back? I agree that we all need to work together to improve the employment situation in this country, although I don’t think that bashing immigrants is the right way to do it.
Many who say exactly the same thing you are saying also came to America from ELSEWHERE. But no ever tells them to go back to where they came from!
The attack on Prerna is a direct attack on her voice to speak for others, to stand for justice. Her work in justice reform is very well established and it shall not matter where the rampant systems places her, her, voice and work stand on their own….and so do others of that same calibre.
i feel sorry for you because you’re UGLY. Get use to this idea: Perna and the rest of these ambitious kids will live a great life, envy will only eat you up alive dawanprod. Oh yes, and eventually there will be gay marriage in this country. Where will you go then? My country doesn’t want you bigot!
Wait, you mean California? Our IT is just great, thanks (the immigrant-friendly Silicon Valley, dontchaknow) and we’d be glad to have Prerna, except for that whole “We’re not a separate country” thing. Though the way things are going, we seem to not see eye-to-eye with the other 49 states on this.
Haha, I’m Californian, pay taxes to California and yes, I love my state (aka country)
My blood thickens as I read what happens daily to people who came to the US for a better life.
This sucks – speak up and be deported – or just hide illegally and be left alone….??
Yes it does suck.. You should really consider going back to mexico. It is sooo much nicer and fairer there. Really…… Just go.
Lol…Mexico. And they say this isn’t about race! I’m sure Mexico would be thrilled to have our very own Indo-Fijian-American 4.0 troublemaker, but they’ll have to get in line behind like four other countries, and #1 USA is not about to let go of her that easily.
Prerna, this bridge & tunnel lady doesn’t have anything on you, we got your back! Jerseygirl…just go…back to the traffic jam from whence you came.
What do you mean “back”? She’s not “from” Mexico and a good number of DREAMers aren’t. Your Filipino nurse, the Chinese kid destroying the curve in your calculus class, the Korean violin prodigy in your English class…they’re just as likely to be undocumented, jerseygirl. GTFO.
This sucks…..speak up about distorted laws and be deported
I love these ones. I face coming home without my loved one because of current immigration laws and DOMA. I also know the frustration and BS around people not being down and out enough…I have been paying years off a school loan and about another 20 to go or more, why? Because even though I made little money I was above the poverty line for a single individual and my parents at the time (whom in no way had or have supported me ever) were above it too and therefore other students that were getting a free ride where not showing up to class – I was and had to pay my full way and also pay and paid higher interest rates on my school loans because I wasn’t a ‘minority or poor’ supposedly, interesting considering I am the only 2nd class citizen in the US and have been being a lesbian.
I hope all works out for you Prerna and keep forging forward and if we stick together, speak our mind and do it skillfully and get people we know behind it and do actually take action and get our voices heard, eventually people have to listen and can no longer deny people these human rights. Best of luck to you!
She’s a Anchor Baby in reverse! lol This story is so full of holes and lies, she’s a lawyer every word out of her mouth is a lie or half truth! She can probably get a good job as a immigration attorney in her country of origin. Next!
It’s too bad that you have zero lawyering skills given how you make claims without warrants and have nothing substantive to add to the discussion. Of course, this is my country and I will win the right to stay here, without a doubt. Watch the trial.
So who’s SSN did you steal to get work, etc..?
I use my own.
[...] has come to our attention the Department of Homeland Security sent Prerna Lal – one of the founder of Dream Activist – a Notice to Appear for removal proceedings. We can [...]
I will sign a petition. To deport her.
Please don’t just talk. Go ahead and create one. Actually, better yet. Rally outside DHS offices and ask them to apprehend and detain me immediately. What fun.
I feel like some weave is about to fly. And Prerna doesn’t wear weave, so…if I were jerseygirl, I’d be taking off my earrings, fake lashes, weave, pride, and anything else that hurts when it comes off unexpectedly.
Oh my, you have no idea all the phone calls and e-mails I send. Hey we stopped the Dream Act didn’t we? We will NEVER give up. You can bet on that. If you are so smart, why are you in removal proceedings?
You’ll see precisely why I’m in removal proceedings when I get my green card. Already getting calls from DHS and representatives.
Never mind, I just heard that this isn’t even going to “trial.” Oh wait, I knew that already.
Thanks everyone!
Why can’t this country get back to its basics? I came from Iran near 30 years ago. It was a different country then. What has changed? Have we changed? No one wants to hire anymore. People are scared. What scared us? Why should we be scared? I hope and pray things get better soon. We all ne a refreshing news from Mr. Obaman soon.
Riiighht, the entertainment business. Let me guess, you get paid nothing to fetch coffee for the local weather girl while daddy pays your rent and your college tuition and your astronomical eyeliner bill. And then you have the gall to disparage the person who picks the lettuce you eat that you didn’t even have to work for because mom still buys your groceries.
BTW, a former “illegal” just won the Pulitzer. How many of those you got under your belt, B&T?
#1. You ARE racist, so don’t be shocked when people call you that. And when you conflate Mexicans with Fijians, it really does not help the cause of those anti-immigrants rights folks like Mr. Yeti who claim they are not racists.
#2. Since you apparently know how to use Google, try googling “U.S. Bill of Rights, 6th Amendment” Maybe if you hadn’t played hooky all through high school you would’ve learned that even criminal defendants are entitled to be represented by a lawyer. You may have also heard that people and and are innocent until proven guilty? Ring a bell? We have those rights so that the government can’t throw thickheaded people like you in jail just for being ugly and loudmouthed. So basically, you are accusing Prerna of working to uphold our most fundamental American values? Accuse me, too!
I am not sure what Obama did to piss you off, maybe you are upset that he continues to detain people at Gitmo without filing charges? I agree, that is an affront to the Constitution, those people have a right to be tried or released.
Aww, it’s all rather simple. It’s about women, American women. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they mostly adore me. I don’t need to go all the way to UK to find someone who loves me. I have it all right here, from my grandma to my mom to my sister to my niece and a gazillion other gorgeous women. <3 Hot date night. Laters.
ICEy friend, I am going to work for one of those six-figure firms in Manhattan (and hoping to God it doesn’t totally ruin my street cred so I can still work for ACLU afterward). I don’t know where you live, but in New York, they like their lawyers loud and saucy (not quite as saucy as I am, but I tone it down for work). As long as you get your sh*t done and do it well, there is no political litmus test either.
I’ve lived in a number of different countries and I gotta say, even though I really loved most of those experiences, the more I travel, the more convinced I become that change needs to start at home. And fortunately for me, “home” is a democracy, where good citizenship isn’t just about blindly following the laws, but making and changing them.
First, the important stuff: J-Lo was born in the Bronx and is a U.S. citizen. Her parents are Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean; I encourage you to look it up on Google Maps. It is also a US territory and all Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. So, if you have ish with J-Lo, you can get on NJtransit and take it up with her personally. You can’t blame Mexico for her, though with those curves AND being rich, I’m pretty sure Mexico would be PSYCHED if you did.
Second, B&T, you should change your username, because you are making your state look bad. And I am not just talking about not knowing that J-Lo is Puerto Rican from the Bronx. I am talking about writing ignorant, racist comments like that. Seriously–who, in 2011, told you it was OK to think like that, much less say it out loud? If you want to be on trend in 2011, you’re supposed to at least be in denial of your racism.
J.ho is a P.R. Big deal I knew that. I just couldnt think of anybody else famous with a spanish last name. How many kids do you have? I know your men are dogs who like to start you off young, and then put you on welfare.
Oh and I dont take N.J. Transit. I have a license. Unlike you I dont have to take a bus.
Your comments are not in the spirit of a civilized discussion about immigration. Please refrain from characterizing Latino men as dogs or you will be permanently blocked.
OK, well, take your license, and get in your car, and drive it to Manhattan (good luck parking, B&T, I actually recommend you take NJTransit & then transfer to the subway at Grand Central like all the smart Jersey commuters do), and go to the library and check out a book. By a Mexican. About Mexicans. Because girlfriend, you might think your ignorance is cute and sassy when you’re online, but in real life, it is going to cost you. Did you see that girl who just had to leave UCLA because she was ignorant and posted a racist video on youtube? Or my uncle, who lost his job because he used the n-word, once. (Yes, I’m white. And a citizen. With a driver’s license. Not that I think any of those things makes me special–they don’t.) And even if these attitudes don’t ever get you expelled from your high school (do your parents know you post this stuff online?), they are not going to help you in life. There are 250 million or so American citizens with driver’s licenses in the US, and most of them are smarter than you are showing yourself to be here.
I sort of hope that you are naturally selected against, but doubt that’ll happen before you pop out a few. So if you manage to make it to adulthood, I hope you live long enough to be ashamed about this phase of your life. And may that day come soon.
Preach!