Month: March 2018

A Local Manatee Dreamer Looks Forward to a Future in Politics Despite the Uncertain Future of DACA

Oscar J. Portillo-Meza is a local DACA recipient who has dreams of becoming a U.S Secretary of State one day, that is all contingent of course, if he can stay in the country he has called home for the last ten years.

A resident of Bradenton and Bayshore High School Senior while splitting time taking courses at the University of South Florida, Portillo-Meza is an ambitious Florida teenager who immigrant from Honduras with his parents at the age of 7. Portillo-Meza has volunteered with several local organizations such as Unidos Now, The Boxser Diversity Initiative, and the Florida Democratic Party. In recognition for his philanthropic efforts, he was recently awarded the Young Spirit Award by the Manatee Community Foundation as reported in the Bradenton Herald last Tuesday.

In deciding to reveal his undocumented status and become a public advocate for the cause, Portillo Meza wants to prove that the young DACA recipients in America stand for positive change in their local communities. I’m not afraid of anything, I think I could do wonderful things anywhere,” said Portillo-Meza. “It doesn’t matter if there’s some crazy people who wants to like say yeah ‘ I’m gonna call ICE’, yeah okay,” he added.

According to Pew research polls from September 2017, most DACA recipients are 25 years old and younger.

James A. McBain, a local Bradenton Immigration Attorney of Immigration Law Services of Bradenton, says Dreamers like Portillo-Meza who can prove good moral character have greater pressure to adhere to the law and less legal recourse than average American citizens if they slip up.

“You don’t have to prove it, neither do I,” McBain said. “A small crime isn’t going to affect you guys, but they do affect those kids,” he added.

 Domain age checker

For more information on Portillo-Meza, click here.

In Tampa, International Women’s Day is a Celebration of Immigrant Voices

In Tampa on Thursday, International Women’s Day was ushered in at Ybor City’s Centennial Park with the International Women’s Day: Stand with Immigrant Women event held by the Hillsborough Community Protection Coalition. Nearly 100 attendees gathered to celebrate local immigrant women’s voices who feel an urgency to express their stories as immigrant women that feel under siege in the Trump presidency, as immigration enforcement partnerships with ICE in Hillsborough and sixteen other counties have been recently initiated, according to the Bradenton Herald.

“My family was undocumented for some years, so we understand the plight of undocumented people,” said Pamela Gomez, an event organizer. “Which has lead into a lot of the work I do with the community in fighting for immigrant rights,” she added.

Tampa Immigration Attorney Ahmad Yakzan explains the change in litigation from the Obama to Trump Era, (below).

Manatee’s Coleman is a Professor, Political Scientist, and First Time Candidate

Liv Coleman hopes that Manatee County will send her to Tallahassee to unseat Republican incumbent Joe Gruters  as a first time Democratic Candidate for the District 73 seat in the Florida State House of Representatives. Coleman, 38, received a strong introduction to voters from Manatee County Democratic Party Sheryl Wilson at a local workshop last month and has been a resident of Bradenton since 2015. Coleman believes that in addition to her being a political scientist and educator, listening is the key strength for her as a candidate.

“I think we’ve seen politicians recently who don’t necessarily hold town halls, who may or may not be in good contact with their constituents,” Coleman said. “I hope to reach out to as many people as possible,” she added.

Liv Coleman

For more information on Liv Coleman’s candidacy, click here.