The Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Page: 1 of 16
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Students band together raising
money to secure residency in the
United States.
Richard Zepeda
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A St. Mary’s alumna who helped mobilize
the nation in the battle over immigration has
been joined by a number of undocumented
University students seeking legal residency.
Alumna Benita Veliz’s refusal to be quietly
deported led to the government closing the
case against her and to her addressing the
Democratic National Convention. It has
also led to Veliz being trailed by some 40
more undocumented St. Mary’s students
applying for residency, backed by students
and other campus supporters, including
President Emeritus Charles Cotrell.
Of the 40-plus students, a substantial
majority is from Mexico, at least one is
from the Philippines and all range between
the ages of 18 and 22, according to lawyer
Anne Ohlrich, who’s been a St. Mary’s
faculty member in law and international
relations. Ohlrich is
contributing her time to
help the students apply for
temporary residency under
President Barack Obama’s
Development, Relief and
Education for Alien Minors
Act, or DREAM act.
Under this executive
order signed by Obama,
an undocumented student
who has been in the United States for over
10 years and is currently enrolled in school
may petition for a work authorization
permit for two years. Obtaining the permit
has been anything but easy for students.
Ohrlich was inspired to help by another
undocumented St. Mary’s student, senior
political science and international relations
major Tanairi Ochoa, who had helped Veliz
and other backers of the DREAM act.
“These students are currently struggling
with purchasing necessities such as
toiletries,” Ochoa said, “which means
that the DREAMers cannot afford the
$465 application fee to obtain their work
authorization, and that
they also do not have
the funds to get legal
assistance.”
To help the DREAMers
raise the application
fee, Ochoa created the
DREAMers Fund to
raise money for the cause.
They also produced a
T-shirt, sold for $18
each or two for $30 as a fundraiser. The
fund has raised over $4,000, enough
to help support the formal filing of
petitions for 10 of the 40-plus students in
see DREAMERS page 3
Pictured above: Senior Tanairi Ochoa,
junior Joel Gardea Beltran, sophomore Gina
Gallardo, sophomore Crystal Casteneda,
sophomore Jose Eduardo Martinez, senior
David Tovar, senior Briana Fantauzzi. Photos
by Felix Arroyo
These students are
currently struggling with
purchasing necessities
such as toiletries
Tanairi Ochoa
Senior, Political Science
SHOPPING ♦ PAGE 10
RODEO ♦ PAGE 12
^ ROCK WALL ♦ PAGE 16
www.stmurattlernews.com
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St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Tex.). The Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 13, 2013, newspaper, February 13, 2013; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1048289/m1/1/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting St. Mary's University Louis J. Blume Library.