Cesar Valdes, a (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) DACA applicant and active member of the
Arizona DREAM Act Coalition, was detained Thursday, November the 15th,
2012 by a Phoenix Police officer and arrested, following the SB1070 playbook.
He was dropping off his younger brother at school that morning.
Cesar was stopped for allegedly driving with an expired
license plate and subsequently failing to produce a driver’s license. He became suspect to be in the country
illegally, enough reason in Arizona to be locked up and sent to dreadful 4th
Ave. Jail, the realm of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies. He spent that
night among hard core criminals. Later,
a fight broke up inside the jail.
Thankfully he was unharmed but big and tall Cesar confessed he was really
fearful.
This event brought out reality to immigrant youth, DACA
applicants and grantees, who were reminded once more of SB1070 and Governor Jan
Brewer’s executive order to deny DACA grantees of an Arizona Driver’s License. Click here to read the
article from the Arizona Republic on the executive order by Governor
Brewer.
Cesar stated repeatedly to Phoenix Police Officer he was a
DACA applicant and was not subject to deportation anymore. The police officer went ahead anyway. Cesar
spent 22 hrs. at 4th Ave. Jail, his mug shot taken with the footnote
“failure to show AZ driving license, ID “ as an explanation and posted on the Maricopa
County Sheriff Office (MCSO) website which shows the public how Joe is “tough
on criminals”.
Cesar believes he could have been released a couple of times
during the process, one when he was in front of the city judge, who declared
being confused by the circumstances. Finally, Cesar was released upon being transferred
to ICE jurisdiction. His arrest and detention exposed bad policy: the diversion
of law enforcement resources into a deportation case that proceeds no longer.
Sadly, even DACA grantees (since Arizona will not be
granting driver’s licenses) will be safe from arrest and hours of detention. We
may see legal challenges in the future due to this attempt to single out beneficiaries
of legal presence. But at ADAC we question what the point is in harass,
humiliate and put in danger young persons who had entrust our system by bringing
forward their personal information through deferred action?
The license plate issue?
It was a mistake of Arizona Motor Vehicle Division which failed to
update his information.
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