Deported veteran finally on verge of citizenship after interview with immigration officials
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Hector Ocegueda-Rivera outside the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, Thursday, July 8, 2021. Ocegueda-Rivera, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Artesia, was deported to Mexico in 2000 for a drunken driving conviction. Ocegueda-Rivera finally received an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after two previous unsuccessful attempts. (Hans Gutknecht, SCNG/TNS)
Jul. 9 Clad in blue jeans and a striped shirt, Hector Ocegueda-Rivera stood outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, July 8, nervously clutching a manila folder.
He was on the cusp of a life-changing moment.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to create an Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs with the search for its leader set to begin next month.
The program will start as a $5 million one-year pilot project, and eventually grow to be a permanent program as part of the San Diego County Office of the Public Defender and work in partnership with regional immigrant defense agencies and nonprofit organizations.
County staff will report back to the board in 90 days with a plan to permanently fund and operate the program.
Lawson-Remer said the program will help address the current backlog in immigration courts.
Lawson-Remer said this issue was personal to her, because three of her grandparents fled Europe because they feared for their lives. Establishing a legal defense program will strengthen our values as Americans, she said.
California Border County Votes to Fund Legal Aid for Migrants Facing Deportation
On 5/5/21 at 4:08 PM EDT
San Diego on Tuesday became the first county along the U.S.-Mexico border to approve a pilot program that will fund legal representation for migrants facing deportation.
The California county s board of supervisors approved the pilot program in a 3-2 vote on Tuesday after listening to nearly two hours of public comments on the proposal. Our justice system should be based on facts and on law not on access to wealth and resources, County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said during a virtual board of supervisors meeting on Tuesday. When we see inequality like this inequality that runs contrary to rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court we must take action.
A police spokesman said department leaders were not available to discuss the policy. The San Diego Police Officers Association’s president said he is satisfied with it.
“It is essential because it carefully spells out our officers’ role in all types of First Amendment activity, from peaceful assemblies through full-out riots,” union leader Jack Schaeffer said. He added that the policy helps the public understand how police respond to demonstrations.
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The effort began with the now defunct Community Review Board on Police Practices, which researched policies in other cities and shared them with the Police Department to offer guidance. The policy is similar to one put in place by the Oakland Police Department.