Ali Qureshi, Abdul’s son and a UNC alumnus, said the Embassy generally turns away applicants without jobs or property. However, their relative in Pakistan has a home and collects rent from multiple properties.
The Qureshis had extensive documentation with them, including bank account statements and Abdul’s diagnosis.
“They didn’t even look at it, they just asked him four or five questions and denied it,” Ali Qureshi said of the Embassy.
The application is unappealable, and the $400 application fee is nonrefundable.
But the Qureshis left with a feeling of optimism.
“We gave her staffers all of the information we had and they seemed willing to help us,” said Ali.
“When she first started speaking and said that she and her office could assist with immigration issues and problems like it, we felt like it was worth it.”
They have a dream
More than a dozen people attended the office hours to petition Hagan to co-sign the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
The DREAM Act is designed for people who came to the United States before the age of 16, have been here for five consecutive years and are between the ages of 12 and 35.
The bill would provide for “Accidental Americans” — people brought here involuntarily by their undocumented parents at a young age — a path to conditional permanent residency through college education or military service if they have a high school degree and “good moral character.”
One group in attendance, DREAM Team, is participating in a hunger strike to draw attention to the issue. They are receiving medical monitoring.
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“We want to raise awareness, to get her attention,” said Domenic Powell, a 2010 UNC graduate.
Powell cited the case of Eric Balderas, a Harvard University student who faces deportation charges after attempting to board a plane to Boston from San Antonio using a consulate card from Mexico and a Harvard student ID.
“This isn’t an amnesty bill at all. These people think of themselves as Americans and this would give them an opportunity to earn their citizenship,” Powell said.
DREAM Team hoped to get direct answers from Hagan.
“We want a real response, not just more talking points like we’ve been getting,” Powell said.
It’s not always so simple
Hagan’s response wasn’t what the DREAM Team was hoping for.
“She said that she won’t support it because she wants comprehensive immigration reform,” Powell said.
“But there isn’t a real comprehensive immigration reform bill, and she focused on the labor aspect of the issue like strengthening of the board and guest worker programs,” he added.
“That will have to be worked out,” Hagan said about policies pertaining to undocumented workers already in the States.
The DREAM Team asked Hagan if she’d support the DREAM Act as part of a comprehensive immigration bill.
“That’s a good question,” she said as she moved to the next table.
Manuel Vazquez of El Pueblo, Inc., a Raleigh-based Latino advocacy group, suggested that she was on the fence and didn’t want to move in either direction with the bill.
The members of El Pueblo and DREAM Team were not as pleased as the Qureshis.
“I told her about the hunger strike for all of the people who graduated high school recently and can’t go to college, and she said she didn’t want me to stop eating,” said Carla Mena of El Pueblo, a rising junior at Meredith College.
“And when I asked her what she was doing about the issue, she began walking away. Saying comprehensive immigration reform is the solution doesn’t help.”
Putting a face on the issue
UNC senior Sara Isaacson was also in attendance to show the personal impact of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.
“I’m hoping to get a chance to talk with the senator and let her know how I feel about the Defense Authorization bill and urge her to facilitate a full repeal,” said Isaacson, who was disenrolled from UNC’s ROTC program when she came out to her commanding officer as a lesbian in January.
“It forces people to lie and compromise their integrity or face discharge,” she said.
Isaacson also said that she’s petitioned the ROTC Cadet Command to halt her disenrollment process.
“I’m not trying to get out (of the Army) under the wire now that it’s being repealed,” she said. “Being an Army officer has been my dream for eight years.”
Isaacson, who has appeared on MSNBC as well as local news stations, wanted to ensure that her story got to Hagan personally so as to put a human face to the issue.
A sympathetic reception
Sara Isaacson thanked Hagan for supporting U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman’s amendment to the Defense bill that would repeal DADT, and encouraged her to continue fighting DADT.
“I’ve got nephews in the military right now and all of my family was in the military, good luck,” Hagan said, hugging Isaacson.
“I think every citizen who wants to serve in our military should have that opportunity,” Hagan said.
Isaacson said that she appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to Hagan.
“Any time you get to speak face-to-face with a a member of Congress it’s worthwhile,” she said.
While the time constraints and organization of the satellite office hours upset some, almost everyone got a chance to talk to the senator.
“This is certainly high attendance,” said Jack Pfeiffer, Hagan’s press secretary.
“It’s a politically engaged community.”
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
