Texan is DNC's First Undocumented Speaker
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Benita Veliz, a 27-year-old San Antonio woman whose parents brought her into the country on a short-term tourist visa nearly two decades years ago, became the first undocumented person to address the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Veliz, who graduated from high school at age 16 as valedictorian and double-majored at St. Mary’s University on a full academic scholarship, was nearly deported to Mexico after being pulled over in 2009 for a traffic infraction.
The case was eventually dropped in 2011. But Veliz, who identifies herself as an American and has hardly any connection to ...
Comments (7)
Christopher Hoerster via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I am very happy for her, but undocumented means illegal right? ICE should be able to find her. I wonder if a legal citizen didn't get a scholership or go to school because she did. I'm just saying what others are thinking.
Don Hoisager via Texas Tribune on Facebook
“But I’ve had to live almost my entire life knowing I could be deported just because of the way I came here.” ---- That is really the whole point. "... the way I came here" is illegal, violates our laws. Rewarding such behavior only adds to the problem. I do not think anyone at all is saying that folks should not come to America, just do so in a legal way.
gypsy314 ne
This should be a big eye awaking for Americans when Democrat parade illegal aliens around and say to Americans and everyone who is trying to come here legally is a spit in the eye and says our laws mean nothing and the laws do not while Obama and democrat are in office and a few rhinos that must have something to gain by illegal aliens being allowed to break our laws and parade around saying come one come all American laws mean nothing. I support legal immigration and declare war against illegal immigration. So Americans we have a choice support Mitt or sick with Obama and democrats??
gypsy314 ne
This law breaker has a choice leave go back to her parents home were ever she came from and find her sorry parents that abandon her and ask them why besides that is also against the law here but our laws mean nothing to her and democrat this is clear.
Hannah Katz
Oh come on! Let's just open the doors and let everyone in. They say roughly half the people of the world would like to live in the United States if they could. So let's make room for an extra 3 billion, probably mostly poor, illiterate and currently occupying the bottom rungs in their current societies.
It would be a tight fit, and living conditions would plummet, but I bet the Democrats would win every election after that. And that is all that really matters, right?
Timothy Pristash
She is a perfect example why we need a modified DREAM Act and a new Lodge Act (Gave citizenship for honorable military service). These children did not consent to be brought here in violation of the law. To blame them for what their parents did would be the same as executing the children of someone who commits Capital Murder.
Anya Khan
This is a new low for the DNC.