Should an illegal immigrant be student body president at Fresno State?

Pedro Ramirez, Fresno State's student body president, is an undocumented immigrant serving in the position without pay.

Some people on Twitter have been discussing the story. A student at Northeastern is happy his university has never elected an illegal immigrant to student body office, while @LatinoDemocrats supports Ramirez's position.

Read more: Fresno State student body president acknowledges he is an illegal immigrant, refuses to step down

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Comments

[KJ]

Let's see... illegal? shouldn't be in the country? I think the question as to whether he should be student body president pretty much answers itself...

[Alex P. Gomez]

No!!!!!

[Alex P. Gomez]

No, he should be deported today!

[CaliPHOBE]

I think you should make him governor -- he'd be better than that liberal hippy you elected. You Kolleeforniyans are idiots ! ! !

[Jonathan Wlison]

Arrest and deport him. Stories like this only encourage more illegal immigration. This is not fair to those who follow the law and come to America legally. Not to mention the American taxpayers who subsidize this illegal activity.
He knew he was illegal. No way this was never discussed in his household when he was growing up.
He knew.

[Cal Bear]

Bulldog, the KKK is not the same as being undocumented.

People who want a better life for their future and their kids are not criminals. No one choses where they are born, just because you are born in a different country should be no reason for you to not be given the same opportunities as everyone else!

Open Borders NOW!

We can't have these silly laws in a country that never had borders to begin with. Did Native Americans have man-made borders? Of course not, just when Europeans got here did things change

[mrspineda]

He is attending Fresno State legally and is not in breach of their policy for elected officials. He also waived the stipend that any other person would get in that position. What exactly do ppl. take issue with here? Is it the fact that there is an "illegal alien" in Fresno, CA--or is it the fact that the "illegal alien" is getting an education?
I am sure that as a student of undocumented legal status he must have worked hard than most of his classmates to get where he is, seeing as undocumented people do not have the same rights as citizens.-not arguing that they should- Clearly he has demonstrated a rigorous work ethic and perserverance. I'm sure it was a shock to him that he was not a citizen, as he himself states. Especially because his parents informed him after he had already passed the timeline for obtaining his residence easily any of the "faster ways." The real tragedy is that now he must wait between 10-15 yrs to get his LPR or get his citizenship/LPR through a spouse. If he does end up getting legal status through his spouse, every close-minded cynic will claim that must be the ONLY reason he gets married.
I congratulate him on his hard work and achievements thus far.

[TheBigPicture]

Only through a correspondence course from Mexico...All illegal should be deported...

[Jonathan Wlison]

Please CA law enforcement, do the right thing!!!!! Arrest and deport this illegal alien.
Send a message to all future potential illegal entrants: It's call the law for a reason. We can't pick and choose which laws to obey.
By the way, why not pick up Meg Whitman's illegal alien former housekeeper while you're at it.

[Dan W]

Is the Vote for Pedro irony lost on everyone or what?

[The Jet]

This kid should be deported and sent back to where he belongs. A total joke that thousands of students are rejected from state universities when Mexican illegals take their spots. The fact that he is the SB president is simply icing on the cake. Send him home.

[OURPark]

Since it comes from this liberal state, nothing is surprising. If Pedro is here without a proper entry procedure, than he and his parents should be sent back. Even those liberal European countries deport (Spain, France, Germany, England (maybe not as liberal), Italy, Greece and so on). These readers need to go over to Charles de Gaulle airport and wait for a deportation process. It is quite a scene.
It has to with accountability, where many of the politician have not been forthcoming with their action (i.e. Rangel ?). This Pedro is taking the limited education resource that is afforded to the residents of CA. I don’t get any help from the government (Fed / state) because I don’t fit the racial makeup (I’m not white either) or the income level.
Hard work and rewards that follow are afforded to those who are doing it correctly, and not because they can walk across. I feel sorry for this young man because he might contribute greatly to the country, but how about those who were pushed out of the education because this guy took their place.
California had quota system that negatively affected my entrance to the top school when I was younger; quota was not for white or black students. It allowed students with less qualification to get into the top schools whereas I was shunned because of quota based on population ratio. This was challenged in 90s and overturned, but the core problem still exists. In my case as an honor student, and top standing in athletic programs was shunned not because of the merits but by my affiliation to a cultural tie. I’m not bitter now, but there are many legally qualified students that are pushed aside in California because of students like Pedro. Did he get in based on racial or merit base?
If Pedro went to CSU Fresno based on the merits, that is admirable but he did not meet the most basic test. The test of residency; which many don’t think of it as being important.

[Katherine]

This guy shouldn't even be in this country, much less attending a state university at in-state tuition fees. I feel sorry about his circumstances, but his parents need to take responsibility for them. They broke the law, and in doing so additionally broke the law by bringing a non-citizen across the border without the proper paperwork. I've had enough of these sob stories. No one here illegally should be able to get benefits of United States citizens. This encourages other people to cross the border illegally bringing their entire families for the United States citizens to pay for their health, education, breakfast and lunch grades K-12, and often even housing. We don't have enough money to provide care for our own citizens.

[Katherine]

This guy shouldn't even be in this country, much less attending a state university at in-state tuition fees. I feel sorry about his circumstances, but his parents need to take responsibility for them. They broke the law, and in doing so additionally broke the law by bringing a non-citizen across the border without the proper paperwork. I've had enough of these sob stories. No one here illegally should be able to get benefits of United States citizens. This encourages other people to cross the border illegally bringing their entire families for the United States citizens to pay for their health, education, breakfast and lunch grades K-12, and often even housing. We don't have enough money to provide care for our own citizens.

[BAZ987]

The first thing I would do is check his parents tax returns for the last 14+ years. This will exhibit whether the taxpayers have been footing most of the bill. No tax returns- prosecute them for not paying taxes. Some people may call this harsh but I have kids also. They and myself pay taxes. Why should an illegal be exempt from paying taxes? Second- deport his parents. Parents should not use their kids as a reason for breaking the law and not being deported.

[J Cline]

Tough one. His parents are to blame, really. They deceived him and everyone else about his status. Deport them, keep Pedro, but he still needs to apply the right way. And there needs to be a way to do this for minor children who were brought here innocently, not of their own accord.

[smith]

I want the border sealed, Arizona's law upheld, remittances to Mexico taxed and illegal criminals sent back. But....

I don't want to deport this kid. He came here when he was 3! He didn't even suspect he was illegal till his parents told him at age 16 or 17. He's worked hard, done well and he should stay here. Frankly, he is the kind of student we want here. You can no more deport Pedro than take out your own arteries.

The feds blew it over the last 20 years by ignoring the problem. They really blew it--Clinton, Bush and Obama. To the point where an illegal can pop up, hire a lawyer, go on TV demanding "back pay" from a billionaire, and ICE does nothing. The Feds are not going to fix the problem.

California can't do anything: the feds get an injunction against every law the people tried to pass to deal with it: from Prop 109 to the Arizona law. And you just elected Jerry Brown! He's not going to lift a finger.

Now its too late. We cannot exclude people who have been here for 20 some years. And I am not sure we want to exclude people like Pedro.

We as Californians have a choice: since the Feds are doing nothing, we either INCLUDE people like Pedro who are fine people, or we exclude him and leave him and his hard working family angry and bitter but still here.

In the UK immigtrants have clustered to themselves and its not good. We want people like Pedro to be part of US not on the outside seething.

If we exclude people like Pedro, he will be bitter, angry and still here. There is no other choice.

[Emile Zola]

Even the word illegal sounds as phony as tea partiers standing for a balanced budget. Let's remember that the U.S. stole California and other border statres from Mexico and regardless how the stealers want to spin the facts, the, so called, "Illegals" have more right to that land than the stealers. Moreover, if he was elected body president was because he was the best person for the job and contrary to politics where politicians are bought, sealed and delivered by corporate America, this type of corruption, I hope, hasn't hit academia yet. Would anybody here, including the tea partiers, republicans, et al call native Americans illegals? when they were here before any stealers and genocidists? I'm sure tha most, except of course, red necks, KKK members et al, will not dare call them illegals. Ahem, Mexicans were here before any "pilgrims." Ergo, except those racists to the core named above, honest, men of good will would not call them illegals. I think, it was on these same pages, some time ago that a labor leader said: The place is called California for a reason and the towns and streets have Spanish names, but of course, for robbers morality and the truth are AWOL, just like the Constitution and civility from this so called "democracy" of ours.

[ty Clark]

I am a Mexican Citizen legal U.S Resident and I am 100% against people like Ramirez, want to be in this country? go back to where you came from, pay the thousands of dollars it costs to get here, take the time it takes, go through the interviews and lines and then sir demand stuff. For right now you are just another great example of what is wrong, breaking a law and then demanding something? really? that's the same as murdering somebody and then asking congress to pass new laws because you think your crime wasn't as bad as they describe it.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/18/1932148/california-student-leaders-immigration.html#ixzz15fVe5Cvj

[Deke]

Just another illegal alien who thinks our laws should not apply to him. DEPORT HIM AND ALL ILLEGALS !!

[Robert R]

Congrads Pedro! With papers or without, you go forward and make Fresno State a better school in this country.

[JR]

He sounds like California governor material to me. Move over Jerry, the illegals are officially running the show.

[Betzee]

"ALL they are is CRIMINALS!!!"

You better include all the people who employed his parents. That would be the Meg Whitman's of the world who rely on Mexico as a giant temp agency but don't want to underwrite the social costs. This is a young man who's made the most of his opportunities and worked for everything he has, in contrast to Whitman's sons!

[Taxpayer]

This announcement just told all of the parents who are looking for the best school in the UC, CSU system for their children to stay away from Fresno. It is apparent it is one of "those" schools who let in the less qualified and still have the UC, CSU designation.

Thanks for the info on this school. My child has been accepted at many of the UC, CSU schools. My child will attend one of those who do not pander to those less qualfied.

My child will need to have a school with good credentials on their transcript to get into graduate school. Those with a "Fresno" transcript will go to the back of the line.

[dee gee]

Everyone's upset because he is an outstanding student and STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT. If he were picking green beans, tomatoes, lettuce and onions everyone would just SHUT UP. Remember this when you are all enjoying mom's green bean casserole at your Thanksgiving Day dinner.