<p>Jose Godinez Samperio of Florida has a law degree from Florida State University and now has applied for admission to Florida bar, despite the fact that he is undocumented and has been so since his Mexican parents overstayed their tourist visa and took up residence in the U.S. years ago.</p>
<p>The Orlando Sentinel says Godinez Samperio had a typical All-American upbringing, including being a top student in high school and a Boy Scout. Former law professors support his admission to the bar. But what I want to know is what kept him from applying for permanent residency once he was of age and presumably educated in the law? In other words, why didn’t he follow the law once he decided to become a lawyer?</p>
<p>He would have had to leave the US and go to Mexico, a place where he has no ties and may not even speak the language–without any reason to believe that he would be able to return to the US any time soon (or even at all).</p>
<p>We have created a terrible Catch-22 for the young adults (and teenagers) who were brought here illegally as young children. I think of what it would be like for my college-age kid to have to go live (and make a living) in a country she didn’t remember in a language she didn’t speak or didn’t speak fluently, and all because I broke the law. It was challenging enough being an exchange student. I can’t imagine the challenges these kids face.</p>
<p>Exactly my thoughts. I am all for justice, but it needs to be tempered with mercy. We have a situation here where a kid is “raised American” and can be a full-fledged productive member of our society, if only his or her immigration status could be cleared up. I see more plusses than minuses to showing some mercy here.</p>
<p>He’d still need to leave the country to get a visa and enter back in legally. I remember reading an article in the paper about this. The problem is that you don’t know how long it will take before the US will allow you back in. The article said that the government was thinking of having the paperwork all done beforehand with the approval of the waiver that would allow you to stay in the US already given. That would give families the confidence to leave the US. Without the approval already in hand, it’s a risk that many are not willing to take.</p>
<p>Ethical question for FSU: it is right and just to take his money for three years, when you know with certainty on Day 0 that he has zero chance of gaining a legal legal job in the US? It is right and just to give him a grant/scholarship to attend (and therefor not to someone else) when the DREAM Act is only a dream?</p>
<p>Why should the Florida State Bar issue him a law license when to use that law license would be to break the law? He cannot work in this country. He cannot get a job with any firm, or any government agency. He could not appear in court representing anyone. Issuing him a license to work as a lawyer would be aiding and abetting illegal activity. And like the law school that admitted him, the bar would be taking his dues money every year with no benefit to him. </p>
<p>Kids put in this position do have a right to be angry, but not at the government. They should be angry with their parents who brought them to this country illegally and then let so much time go by without doing anything to try and advance legal status.</p>
<p>“And like the law school that admitted him, the bar would be taking his dues money every year with no benefit to him.”</p>
<p>Isn’t that something for the law school and bar to decide? Both of them have qualifications for admission, and if he meets those qualifications, they can decide to admit him. As to the benefit, that’s no one’s business but his own.</p>
<p>He and his parents should be deported immediately. He was given a gift he should never have received. There are thousands of Chinese who apply to come to the US who are denied every year. Why should this guy get preference simply because his parents were not caught.</p>
<p>He has alternatives. With US undergraduate and JD degrees, he could probably get a sweet job in Mexico, which is a relatively nice place to live.</p>
<p>We have all kinds of American “citizens” living all over the world whose wealthy parents came here to have the baby so there will be an anchor baby for them when the going gets rough at home. Perfectly legal of course, even if the baby hasn’t spent a day in the U.S. since s/he was two weeks old.</p>
<p>I wonder if an individual could go down to Mexico, go through college, and get a professional job without ever having documents… somehow I doubt it. And I would guess it is that way in MANY countries around the world…</p>
<p>Why do you assume they are wealthy parents? My sister’s unemployed, unmarried British friend flew to the US in her 9th month and stayed with my parents so she could give birth to a US citizen.</p>
<p>Canadian and Mexican citizens can walk over the border to do the same. No need for wealth to accomplish this.</p>
<p>“We” have created a Catch-22?? Who exactly is “we”? Did “we” bring the child here, overstay our allowed time on a visa, and refuse to participate in the legal, proper procedure for gaining citizenship? His parents (and this man as well once he came of legal age) are the ONLY ones to blame for this situation…there is no mythical “we”.</p>
<p>Why should anyone continue to reward this family’s bad behavior any further? What would that say to all the individuals/families who are following the proper and legal path to citizenship? Should they just be told that they’re suckers for doing things the right way? What a great slap in the face that would be.</p>
<p>“Canadian and Mexican citizens can walk over the border to do the same. No need for wealth to accomplish this.”</p>
<p>In my 62 years on the planet, I have never seen an 8 1/2 month pregnant Mexican walk over the border to give birth and then walk back. Glad to hear that your parents helped create an “anchor baby”, though, who can now bask in all the resources that our nation has to offer. (As for the wealthy ones, you can come meet my Iranian friends in Beverly Hills.)</p>
<p>But as for the would be lawyer, it would be cheaper to shoot him.</p>