What on earth is going on here?
The Somerville-based Latin-jazz ensemble Either/Orchestra has gigs scheduled this weekend in London and Glastonbury, but their long-time percussionist won’t be along for the trip. He’s locked up in a Boston jail – not for committing any offense, but because the US Department of Homeland Security has decided to have him deported.
Vicente Lebron, born in the Dominican Republic, has lived in the US for 38 years. He is married with grown children (and grandchildren) who were born and raised US citizens. He has a green card and a passport. He has traveled in and out of the country many times, thanks to Either/Orchestra’s world-wide popularity. He and his congas are, safe to say, a mainstay of Boston’s music scene.
All of that did him no good when the group returned from Europe in mid May, after performing in Germany and Holland. For reasons that are unclear – his attorney, Lenore Glaser, won’t discuss the case for fear of antagonizing the immigration judge, and the Phoenix was not able to get an explanation from Customs and Border Protection by press time – Homeland Security agents at Logan Airport decided that Lebron is no longer welcome in the US. He was officially placed into removal proceedings at a June 9 hearing – a status that triggers mandatory detention. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson confirms that Lebron is now imprisoned in the Homeland Security wing at South Bay Correctional Center, where he will remain until his deportation hearing on July 10.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong (and apparently I am), but I thought “green card” = “permanent resident” = “they can’t just throw you out if they feel like it.” Silly me.
If anyone knows more about this:
Lebron’s friends and supporters, including fellow Either/Orchestra members and musicians throughout the local jazz and Latin-music communities, are planning a benefit concert to cover legal expenses at Ryles in Cambridge, tentatively slated for July 14 or 15.
Please keep us updated.
Is it to intimidate the people? To keep the sheeple from baying? What rights could this poor fellow have under Judge David Trager’s ruling?
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p>What rights do you have?
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p>What have the Democrats done for us after we voted them in? Did we vote them in to become the enablers of the Republicans?
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As I’ve often told clients, a green card isn’t citizenship.
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p>-Change physical address without notifying INS, means deportation.
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p>-Stay abroad too often such that authorities find you’ve abandoned the US as your Permanent residence, means deportation.
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p>-Attempt to aid someone illegally enter US, means deportation.
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p>-Minor crimes or misdeamors such as fraud, theft, threat of bodily harm, sex offenses, means deportation.
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Green cards fraudlently gained-i.e. through claiming you were married and you weren’t–means deportation.<
p>And, the worse part is that criminal lawyers don’t know immigration law! So in the case of a minor offense and a guilty plea with minor punishment, the green card holder might weeks, months or years later, find himself deported.
and I don’t mean to be condescending in the least.. it is interesting.
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p>But what does any of that have to do with either/or?
…that if rumors between some immigration attorneys are to be believed, that he had some drug charges to his credit, and although potentially minor crimes, the restrictive rules of green card holders is very clear, even if ‘unfair’.
Can a permanent resident obtain an American passport? I thought those were reserved for national citizens.
so I’ve edited the title.
the original title never said to what country the passport belonged…
some much-needed information.
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p>I think it looks like there’s some room to improve the process, so we aren’t kicking out solid residents because of petty things they did years earlier.
That’s how they roll us here.
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p>fnord
Did a piece today about immigrants getting off a plane and demanding and getting welfare in Mass and New York, having three kids and the fact that Mass does not in fact even ask for the most elementary proof of citizenship when applying for welfare benefits.
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p>Now all I can tell you is that WTKK 96.9 FM talk does in fact resonate well with the younger demographic as it is the demographic of my kids which I have observed over the years profusely. On certain points I have even come to agree wholeheartedly with them on their adverse reactionary attitudes towards
1. Diversity
2. Blacks
3. Anyone who does not speak fluent English
4. Affirmative action
5. Political correctness
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p>These “kids” are struggling and looking at a dismal future and comparing it to the life “Dad” enjoyed.
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p>yes it may not be a “popular” view here in this venue but it is true.
Yep, It seems that all things beautiful have an unintended consequence. Being a touchy feely kindness cookie, and wanting all things for all people (deserved or not, entitled or not, is all well and good. Unfortunately there is a consqence that was neither forseen nor intended: someone has to apy for it. It seems that now, all the folks who wanted all the goodies spread around have received the bill, and surprisingly they don’t want to pay it.
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p>My daugheter left a mostlt white, mostly middle class liberal arts college to transfer to a Boston College to “celebrate diversity”. Within four months she came to the unfortunate conclusion that she had not made a prudent decison. More unfortunate and to her misfortune, her decision was cast in stone—there was no turning back. So now my once liberal daughter’s politics in now somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun and she isn’t even thirty—and I think that she is just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks for the tip on WTKK—never listened to it.