U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo is pressing federal authorities to deport the
family
of an 18-year-old honor student and undocumented immigrant who couldn't
afford to attend a Colorado university because of his immigration
status.

Jesus Apodaca, who graduated with honors from Aurora High School this
spring, was the subject of an Aug. 11 Denver Post story examining the
fact
that he couldn't afford to attend a state university because federal
law
prevents state institutions from offering financial aid or in-state
tuition
to illegal immigrants.

It is unprecedented for a federal lawmaker to seek deportation of an
individual or family, numerous immigration advocates said.

"I'm just astounded. I must say we've never heard anything like this,"
said
Frank Sherry, director of the National Immigration Forum.

Based on Apodaca's admission that his family has been in the country
illegally for five years, Tancredo said he contacted the U.S.
Immigration
and Naturalization Service in Denver and asked that Apodaca and any
other
undocumented family members be deported. Apodaca's father, mother and
four
siblings are illegal, family members have said; two other siblings are
legal U.S. residents.

"The message this sends is that you can be so brazen as to not have the
slightest concern about going on the front page of The Denver Post and
telling everybody that you are here illegally," said Tancredo, a
Republican
from Littleton. "It's turning the law on its head. It's making a
mockery of
justice."

Tancredo's demand came a day after Apodaca learned that an anonymous
donor
had offered to pay his first semester's tuition at the University of
Colorado at Denver to study computer science. While students like
Apodaca
must pay out-of-state tuition, most Colorado universities admit
students
regardless of immigration status.

Apodaca's mother was angry and fearful when she heard of Tancredo's
deportation request.

"I wish I had (Tancredo) here, face to face. I'd ask him, 'Do I seem
like a
bad person? Does my son seem like a bad person?"' said Maria Madrid.
"All
I've ever wanted is that my son fulfills his dream" of going to
college.

Apodaca's father earns $1,200 a month working as a ranch hand outside
Greeley.

The director of the Denver office of the Immigration and Naturalization
Service, Mike Comfort, confirmed that his office has heard from
Tancredo.
But, citing an ongoing investigation, he wouldn't comment on the nature
of
the conversation or how the agency will respond.

Comfort said the agency normally focuses on immigrants who have
committed
crimes such as theft or assault or, since Sept. 11, pose a national
security threat.

"When you look at the resources available in this district, you have to
assign tasks based on priority. National security is now our top
priority,
and after that, tracking down" those who have committed other crimes,
he said.

Tancredo said Comfort promised that the INS would take action.

Deportation, Tancredo said, is necessary.

"It is a very bad idea to reward people for breaking your law," said
Tancredo, who heads the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus and is
a
leading advocate for tighter immigration laws. "Instead of the
penalties
that should be imposed for doing this, we are debating what benefits
they
(immigrants) should receive."

Some immigration opponents backed Tancredo.

"If illegal aliens are so cavalier about their immigration status that
they
are so willing to flaunt it publicly, it's obvious that our immigration
laws have become nothing more than a joke," said David Ray, associate
director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

But former Colorado Gov. Dick Lamm, who backs stricter immigration
controls, said targeting one family rather than overall immigration
policy
could backfire.

"I think Tom Tancredo has shot himself in the foot. This violates
people's
sense of fairness," Lamm said. "It's taking public debate to a personal
level that I think is inappropriate and wrong."

Immigration advocates said Apodaca had a right to speak out about the
tuition issue without facing deportation.

"You have an elected member of Congress going out of his way to get an
A
student, accepted to CU, picked up and deported," Sherry said.
"Tancredo is
using his power to be a bully."

Condemnation also came from the Mexican government, which had initially
asked local colleges and universities to help Apodaca.

"This is an arrogant use of power," said Mario Hernandez, a spokesman
for
the Mexican consulate in Denver. "This family is looking to improve the
lives of their children. I don't think Mr. Tancredo realizes what he is
doing to this family, which is already vulnerable."

Madrid said her family has ridden an emotional rollercoaster since
Tuesday.
If Apodaca stays in school, he could be the first in the family to
graduate
from college. But after she heard of Tancredo's call to the INS, the
family
briefly fled its home Wednesday, then returned.

Jesus "said that we should stay here. If (the INS) comes here and we
have
to go back to Mexico, then that's what we'll do," Madrid said.

A Washington group that specializes in immigrant legal issues has
offered a
lawyer, but it wasn't clear Thursday whether the Apodacas would accept.

Congress is considering legislation to ease the way for students such
as
Apodaca. Already, four states, including California and Texas, have
extended in-state tuition to any graduate of a state high school.

Immigrants make up 8.6 percent of Colorado's population. At least
50,000
students in the state's public schools don't speak English well, though
there is no estimate of how many are here illegally.

A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision gave children the right to a public
education through high school, regardless of immigration status.

Could you post the web address where you are getting this and every other news story you post.

A lot of people like to see for themselves ; )

Why, you don't believe me?

I didn't say I didn't believe you. I just like to have references.

I think that I read the Tancredo article in the weekly bulletin from ilw.com. ("Immigrant's Weekly From ILW.com")

Knew I'd seen it before! Here is the link, I got it from this week's "Immigrant's Weekly From ILW.com": http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E856399%257E,00.html