Seattle Times Articles

[angela256z]

So some of you may have seen that I have posted many Current Events from the Seattle Times. The reporter Lornet Turnbull has been doing many pieces on the issues with deportees and immigration based on the family side of immigration. I was thinking of writing her a letter to thank her and ask her to continue her reporting on these issues.

So what do you think.

[Laura]

Angela - I would definitely do this! When I see articles I like I tend to write the reporters. They usually respond.

I would also suggest, as appropriate, you suggest other stories to them. If she is working the immigration beat and hasn't written a waiver story yet maybe she will be interested in that... just a thought.

[Cfloresgirl]

I agree with the covering the waivers and especially the new interpretation of the 9c minor thing...I'm sure there a lot of peolpe who don't know too much since it's been recent...just a thought

[Nepthys]

I agree with the covering the waivers and especially the new interpretation of the 9c minor thing...I'm sure there a lot of peolpe who don't know too much since it's been recent...just a thought

what is the 9c minor thing???

[tasksgirl]

I wrote her about a week ago.. no response though ! But definately go ahead :D

[Cfloresgirl]

There is currently controversy as to whether presence before the age of 18 can be counted when calculating 9C. There is an exemption for minors stated for 9B, but not explicitely for 9C. There are people who have accumulated more than 1 year illegal presence before the age of 18 and then EWI, who have been allowed to file the waiver immediately (9B). However, recently several people have been told they are not elligible for the waiver(9C) because of an EWI after prior presence under the age of 18.

Therefore, if you EWI after having been in the US illegally for more than 1 year no matter what age, you may trigger the 9C ban and therefore not be allowed to file a waiver for 10 years.

[nineten]

This is what we should do en masse at every opportunity.

[angela256z]

Sounds good guys. I am going to write a few things like a list of things to add.

1. Waivers -
- Seperation
- choices
- Denials

2. 9C Minor issue
- The law states
- How it is being used

3. ?? - what else

[angela256z]

If you have not seen some of the articles here are links to a few recent ones

http://immigrate2us.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13322
http://immigrate2us.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13321
http://immigrate2us.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12786
http://immigrate2us.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12738

[Laura]

I don't mean to argue (seriously) but I disagree completely with the idea of writing en masse to reporters.

Here's why: I used to be a reporter, albeit a student one, and then a community columnist so I was published and had an email address which was posted in the paper. I got a lot of junk mail, and professional reporters get more. Reporters are wading through the crap e-mail. They are also getting a bizzilion press releases and all sorts of requests for their time, attention and coverage every single day. As a columnist I tried to respond to anyone who wrote me a thoughtful, sincere comment. Anything that seemed like a mass-produced, (in my case usually anti-immigrant) hate letter I just deleted. I don't have time for that, and the average reporter doesn't have time for generic mass emails about how wonderful with the world is with undocumented immigrants any more than they have time for the slew of anti-immigrant mail they likely get from the other side.

When I read an article I like in my local paper I write a brief, personal e-mail to the reporter. I mention that I liked their article and why. I might mention why it is personally close to me. I keep it pretty short. Believe me that these people do not have time for your personal sob story (harsh but true!). However, if you present something to them that piques their interest because it is newsworthy, you may get a response.

Another thing is that reporters read, hear and tell sad stories all the time. Their colleagues may have been to Iraq. They might have interviewed someone last week who was murdered yesterday in the 'hood. It's not smart to write overly emotional, drawn-out stories to them and expect them to feel the way you do about it. Keep things in perspective. Focus on what is unjust. Injustice is often newsworthy. Exceptional human interest value is also good. That is why I think that Losguerra, depending on what happens with their case, will have an excellent profile written about them in the Tribune one day. Their story is exceptional, because it involves a young teenager, injustice, arbitrary laws, a split family, zero options, etc.

So, Cflores - you mentioned the 9(c) thing. I wish that was more newsworthy, but I think it's too technical. Most reporters do not know the difference between AOS and consular processing, even immigration reporters. They know there are immigrants here, and they understand that some can get papers (often referred to as "citizenship" because there is so little understanding...) and they may understand that other people are simply ineligible for any sort of relief. Sometimes we get frustrated because there is a lack of attention to our stories but as whole the pro-migrant people are not a media savvy bunch.

Okay, that was like a lecture.

Nineten, I don't mean to single you out at all, I have thought about this many times when people have posted how they have sent ten letters to the editor about their case and I have thought to myself: I bet none of those get published, because letters to the editor serve a different purpose at most papers than to share new stories.

Anyway, Angela - I think you should definitely send a note thanking the reporter at the Times. The fact that you are a resident and reader of the paper and have a personal immigration story that you can refer to is great. I also think everyone should scan their local papers for immigration articles and depending on how accurate and/or biased they are, call the reporter out or thank them for it. But make sure your emails aren't generic and are clear and concise.

[Cfloresgirl]

Laurafern..I understand what you mean when you say most reporters just know that some people can get relief and others can't.My focus was on the fact that there are minors who don't qualify for relief and just about the recent changes we have seen.

[Laura]

Cflores - I understand what you are saying and I didn't mean to attack your suggestion, I just think it's a very technical issue for a reporter who doesn't even understand the first thing about consular processing, waivers, etc.

I agree it's an issue, but without a person's example, it's not much of a story.
I know there is someone here who has already been to CDJ and already received the 10-year bar. Maybe mmagana? (something like that). It's more likely that a reporter would write a story where there is an actual family as an example than a general rule change at the Consulate.

You have to think about what the average person understands about the immigration process for this specific group of people (people who EWI), and then this even more specific group of people who lived here for more than a year, then left and EWI again as minors.

I'm just trying to share a little bit about how reporters think and work. We just have to be more media savvy as a group, I mean, as pro-migrant people.

[Cfloresgirl]

Ah..see what your saying.I agree that having an actual family would be the best approach.

[angela256z]

So Laura, Maybe I can right the thank you and tell her it effect me on a personal level because I am going through the issue. How about if I bring up something like....

"If you further continue your investigative reporting into family immigration issues you can address issues such as the Waiver process or the fact that certain laws are being mis-interpreted, such as illegal presence counting for minor."

So not really a full out point by point, but a suggestion to her on the items in a brief paragraph such as my example above. Since you were a reporter would that be something you would look at? It is great to have a reporter point of view here. I really don't want to overwhelm the lady and make a letter that she would not even consider reading.

[Laura]

I would maybe mention that you really appreciate her good reporting and humane treatment of the recent deportations.

Mention that you have a personal tie to the situation and perhaps that soon you will leave the U.S. with your husband for his visa interview in Ciudad Juarez.

Ask if she is aware that even when an illegally present immigrant is married to a U.S. citizen they are not allowed to fix their status within the U.S.... (many people still don't know this) They have to leave, and in some circumstances, they cannot come back for 10 years. This could have nothing to do with a criminal record. It could be a situation where a child was brought to the U.S. when he was five. When he was 15 his parents decide they would return to Mexico. Then a year later they decided they would enter the U.S. illegally again. If a U.S. citizen marries this man they will be unable to fix his status until he has been outside the U.S. for 10 years.

When you use examples (even if in this case it's a made-up example) the reporter might see the human interest side...

Sorry if I am being annoying. :blush:

[angela256z]

Sorry if I am being annoying. :blush:

You are not being annoying at all. The reason I want to write this letter is because I want to thank her for the work she is doing and personally I see a different view in her writing. Some stories I see on immigration seem like they can't wait to put a negative comment in them and in her writing I see an interest in the family side of it. I want to write a letter that thanks her and brings her attention to other issues if she is going to continue on these immigration view. I am glad that you are giving me this info and everyone above too.

I think is what I will do I will compose a letter. 1. Thanking her for her stories and her interest into the family side of immigration. 2. Give a quick paragraph or two relating to waivers and 9C minor issues. Not great detail, but a little bit on how it effect our families.

[Adriane]

I'm a journalist- we get a ton of mail & email. Sometimes we can respond, sometimes there are just too many.

But you should definitely write. Many times a reporter wants to do a story, but his or her editors are opposed. Newspapers are very guilty of that "that's so last week!" mentality- they'll do a series on something, like the one that ran in the Seattle Times, but don't expect them to keep up immigration stories at the same pace because it's sort of a niche group that is interested.

But the more letters a reporter gets, the better the case she or he can make to their editors about doing more stories about that topic. It's also a good idea to write letters to the managing editor or the city editor- you can call the newspaper and get their names or email addresses.

You can also write a letter to the editor, the ones that are sometimes published on the editorial page, thanking the newspaper for their series.

Good luck & happy writing!

[angela256z]

Thanks Adrian!