From our inbox. Also I just want to note, that I don’t necessarily agree with the framing of the call to protest/support. I don’t necessarily think that Julio will be safer in the U.S. – as if the U.S. has shown itself to protect and take care of young, queer youth. Pero, the point is that if Julio wants to stay he should be able to, especially if it is true, as the Obama administration keeps telling us, that they are not deporting young people like Julio. If that was true then why is this protest even needed?

Students, community leaders and elected officials will hold a rally and march in the Bronx to demand the halt of the deportation of Julio Hernandez.
We are calling on to ICE director John Morton to stop Julio’s deportation, and we are urging Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to advocate for deferred action for undocumented youth.

Julio Hernandez, a 24-year-old New York student, faces an imminent deportation order after being detained on a Greyhound bus during his spring break in April.

Julio was enrolled in Bronx Community College, and during his return trip from Chicago to New York, he was detained by Border Patrol in a Greyhound bus in Erie, PA.
Julio is set to be deported back to El Salvador where he faces gang violence due to his sexual orientation. Julio came to the United States in 2007, fleeing threats on his life from gang members. After arrival, he quickly learned English and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a radiologist. Julio is a bright, hard-working student, who has aspirations to contribute and serve his community. He wants to be a role model to younger kids.

The New York State Youth Leadership Council is leading a campaign to stop Julio’s deportation. With a record number of deportations, the Obama administration continues to place hard-working immigrant youth in deportation proceedings. In an effort to keep Julio in the nation he now calls home, we have collected numerous petitions from the community and contacted ICE Director John Morton to urge him to defer Julio’s deportation. In addition, we are also urging Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to advocate for deferred action for undocumented immigrant youth, and stop wasting valuable talent and brainpower due to a broken immigration law system.

What: Press conference, rally and march
Who: Julio, immigrant youth, Bronx college students, community leaders and elected officials
Where: Bronx Community College – 2155 University Ave, Bronx NY 10453
When: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 12:30pm
Why: Julio is a deserving and hard-working undocumented young American who is facing deportation. If deported to El Salvador, Julio’s life is at risk because of his sexual orientation. We need to stop his deportation!