Illinois town in Trump territory backs detained immigrant

[fountainofyouth]

Source: Associated Press

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. A southern Illinois community that solidly backed President Donald Trump has rallied behind a Mexican restaurant manager who doesn't have legal permission to live in the U.S. and has been detained by immigration officials.

Letters of support for Juan Carlos Hernandez Pacheco have poured in from West Frankfort's mayor, police chief, high school athletic director and the county prosecutor. They describe Hernandez as a role model and praise his robust civic involvement, including funding school scholarships, benefit dinners for families in need and hosting a law enforcement appreciation event.

Hernandez, 38, came to the U.S. in the 1990s but didn't obtain legal status, according to friends. He has been the manager of La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant for a decade in the community with coal mining roots, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis.

He was arrested at his home earlier this month and remains in custody at a U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement facility outside St. Louis. ICE officials did not explain why Pacheco was arrested, but noted his drunken-driving convictions from 2007.

Read more: http://m.startribune.com/illinois-town-in-trump-territory-backs-detained-immigrant/414876684/

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Yes, your actions can affect the lives of REAL PEOPLE!!!

[KingCharlemagne]

1. Wake me up when the residents of Frankfurt, IL storm the ICE detention

facility to free Hernandez. Otherwise, these letters mean nothing to the fascists in control.

[murielm99]

2. This is a great step forward

for a town like Frankfurt. Storming the detention facility would be futile and meaningless.

[KingCharlemagne]

3. "futile and meaningless" - words heard in Paris on July 13, 1789 - nt

[murielm99]

4. You are telling other people what to do

on a message board instead of applauding their first steps. Do you know anything about Southern Illinois? Do you do anything to help immigrants or Democrats away from the keyboard? If you do, I commend you. But I cannot judge these people for doing something, even if it is something small. Stop with the condescension.

[KingCharlemagne]

5. Half the people writing letters on Hernandez' behalf voted for

Trump and the other half probably didn't vote. I'm actually contributing small amounts to a center that shelters potential targets of ICE in Southern California. (Don't want to give specific details here to preserve the facility's anonymity.) Hernandez is just one more victim of the nation's flirtation with fascism. I hope his story has a happy ending, but I'm not holding my breath just yet. I'm contemplating escalating my resistance a notch or two but have not yet decided on exactly what form said escalation shall take, probably something futile and meaningless, i dare say.

[murielm99]

6. You bet they voted for Trump in Southern Illinois,

if they voted at all. But some of them may have buyer's remorse, and some of them may change their minds in the future. We can work with that.

I live in a rural area. There are more than a few trump supporters here who have changed their minds. Most of them are very quiet right now. A few are admitting that they were wrong.

[rpannier]

9. West Frankfort is Dust 12. Mike Bost Refucklican Congress

While I still say fuck em for voting for Hair Douchenbroper and Bost
the history of the district is Democratic

[ProudLib72]

7. Finally biting them in the ass

It's all fair until you see the results of your misplaced trust first hand. I hope more red state idiots witness first hand how their orange god's stupidity affects them.

[murielm99]

10. I watched the Nightline

piece tonight on t.v. That is a deep red state. They spoke to people who are alive only because of the ACA. I have a feeling some of them will be too stubborn to admit they were wrong about trump. But some of them, and their family members, can be persuaded. We are seeing some progress.

[Hortensis]

12. Yes. Those T voters among them have taken a big step

from support to opposition. That's progress, all right. Yes, it's for one specific person who's long been a known and well-liked member of the community, but good for those in West Frankfurt who are trying to rescue their friend.

And good for this gentleman, whose latest contribution to his community is to help some conservatives recognize there are limits to what they will support.

[rpannier]

8. Frankfuck... Fuckfort

Whatever they are... fuck em
They voted for the menace.
If they're going to continue to vote republican they can cram their letters with walnuts

[MountCleaners]

11. Clarification: There is a Frankfort and a West Frankfort

Frankfort is up here in the south suburbs of Chicago, and is in a Democratic area. West Frankfort is way, way downstate.

[coco22]

13. These peopl think..

they can pick and choose who stays or who goes depending on if,they are friends or if they need them for their businesses.

[keithbvadu2]

14. They should stick to their principles and deport 'their' illegal alien.

Don't they believe in that "Rule of Law" thing?

They should stick to their guns and deport 'their' illegal alien.

Stick to their principles.

Obviously taking a job away from an American (who probably lost his coal mining job).

[DK504]

15. Bas Hombres

So is Mr. Pacheco is a gang member? No? These cowards at ICE picking off the low hanging fruit of men and women actually contributing to our society. ICE refuses to go after the gang mambers that are destroying immagrants lives and society.

ICE= Cowards.