zentronix: dubwise & hiphopcentric

Monday, July 15, 2002

From the Los Angeles Times, July 12.

Gang member turned peace activist Alex Sanchez has been granted political asylum, ending a case that was complicated by overtones of the LAPD Rampart Division scandal.

"It has great significance because we have been allowed to keep a great peacekeeper," said Silvia Beltran, executive director of Homies Unidos, an anti-gang program.

"It's wonderful news," said former state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles), who befriended Sanchez five years ago and testified on his behalf. "He's helped a lot of young people stay out of trouble and out of harm."

Sanchez, now 30, was deported in 1994 to his homeland, El Salvador, because of a decade-old auto-theft conviction and a subsequent parole violation for possessing a firearm. A year later, he returned illegally to the U.S. and eventually helped form the local chapter of Homies Unidos.

Police critics turned Sanchez's case into a cause celebre, saying it was an example of how the Rampart Division tried to run roughshod over problematic witnesses by having them deported to prevent their testimony.

Sanchez had planned to testify on behalf of a teenager arrested by Rampart officers on suspicion of murder.
In requesting political asylum for Sanchez, his attorney, Alan Diamante, argued that his client might be killed if he was returned to El Salvador because of his links to the Salvadoran gang Mara Salatrucha and his stance against police corruption.

The police chief of San Salvador, Hayden, three anthropologists, a photojournalist and a psychologist were among the witnesses who testified on behalf of Sanchez.
Earlier this week, Sanchez's conviction for firearm possession was vacated. Two years ago, his felony conviction for auto theft was set aside. With both felony offenses tossed out, the path was cleared for the immigration judge to grant political asylum, Diamante said.
The ruling Wednesday by Immigration Judge Rose Peters means that Sanchez will now be able to apply for U.S. citizenship, Diamante said.

"It has totally changed my life," Sanchez said. "It's a new beginning for me. Now I don't have to run anymore. It's a good feeling."

posted by Zentronix @ 2:02 PM 0 comments

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Previous posts
Amazing. This Jackson beating just gets deeper. Fi...
BREAKING NEWS: ALEX SANCHEZ GRANTED ASYLUM Yester...
Here we go again. Dirty cops beating folks on vide...
Think COINTELPRO is over? Check - The Village Voic...
RELEASE! Inaugurating a cultural autonomous zone...

select * from pages where handle = "BlogLinks" #content#

Archives
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009